Over 400 People Dead in the Himalayas as Flooding Grips the Region

Over 400 people are dead after heavy rain triggered a massive flooding event in Pakistan, Nepal, and India-administered Kashmir. Here is the latest on this dire situation unfolding on the other side of the world.

Tragic Flooding Unfolding Across the Himalayas

Flash flooding has killed over 40 people across portions of Asia, with even more people missing or injured. Local officials confirmed that at least 321 people died in northwestern Pakistan in a period of 48 hours. The flooding roared through more than ten villages in the Buner region of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Compounding the situation is that rescue crews are having challenges reaching those who need help because so many of the roads have been washed out. In addition to the unpassable roads at the hands of standing water, a rash of landslides has left debris on the roadways. Dozens of residents are believed to have been buried under the rubble in Buner.

More than 120 bodies have been recovered from Buner as crews race against the clock in hopes of finding survivors. Five rescue crew members died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when a helicopter crashed while trying to provide relief.

In India-administered Kashmir, officials have confirmed that at least 60 people died and more than 200 are still listed as missing in the town of Chashoti. This area is known as a popular destination for Hindu tourists on pilgrimage, meaning that some of the victims may have been unfamiliar with the terrain.

Video footage in this part of the Himalayas shows homes being reduced to rubble as mudslides rolled down the mountains. There are also reports out of Kashmir confirming that vehicles have been washed away as roads turned into rivers.

Nepal has also been impacted by the flooding. According to the country's disaster management authority, at least 41 people died, with at least 120 people reporting injuries. Locals reported feeling like an earthquake was shaking their homes as the rain poured down and the mudslides roared.

What is Causing the Torrential Rain?

Climatologists are blaming the monsoon season for the heavy rain that generated this flooding disaster. This part of the region typically sees the monsoonal rain begin in early June.

The moisture machine fired up again on Sunday after getting its initial start last week. Pakistan's Meteorological Department is warning that the flooding threat will remain elevated through the week. The risk will be particularly high in urban areas. Authorities are warning residents to avoid the populated tourist areas.

India’s Meteorological Department detailed last week that it believes that the heavy rain started as a result of a cloudburst. A cloudburst is defined in meteorologist circles as a downpour that delivers over 4 inches of rain in just one hour.

Pakistani officials also confirmed that it was a cloudburst that initially caused the flooding. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called an emergency meeting in the capital city of Islamabad about the cloudburst, ordering more rescue operations to launch.

In addition to the normal impacts of the monsoon season, climatologists believe that global warming is exacerbating the seasonal floods that sweep through the Himalayas during the summer months. This is just one example this summer of how climate change is impacting the typical weather patterns all over the planet.

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