About 10,000 people were camped near the remote Amarnath temple, nestled in a Himalayan mountain cave, when a sudden cloudburst triggered a deluge. Soldiers in Baltal Base Camp in Indian-administered Kashmir yesterday carry a person recovered after a flash flood swept away hundreds of tents near a popular Hindu pilgrimage site. Photo: AFP“We found 16 bodies so far and at least 40 are missing,” an official from the state disaster response agency said. The annual pilgrimage sees hundreds of thousands of people trek up for days through rugged mountain passes to reach the shrine. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several senior government officials expressed their grief over the loss of lives.

Source: Taipei Times July 09, 2022 17:15 UTC