Saltar al contenido principal

India: Leh-Ladakh Flash Floods

Países
India
Fuentes
SEEDS
Fecha de publicación
Origen
Ver original

Leh: At least 112 people have been killed and many more are missing after flash floods hit Leh in Ladakh. Reports said a number of people were killed and many injured in a massive cloudburst on Thursday night.

"We were sitting inside when we got to know about the floods. We came outside and saw the entire area flooded," said a resident of Leh.

The flash floods, caused by a cloudburst, have transformed the picturesque landscape of Leh into a virtual disaster zone with buildings, houses and schools completely destroyed.

The cloudburst triggered torrential rains, mudslides and flash floods. A number of homes were completely destroyed and over 500 injured people were taken to Army hospital where floods destroyed entire wards.

The Army and the paramilitary launched a massive operation to rescue people who are still missing - among them 25 Army jawans. Slush, gushing water and debris were a big challenge to rescue workers.

"We walked two kilometers and then I climbed a mountain. I had 14 more people with me," said an Army jawan.

Several homes were completely destroyed and the infrastructure badly hit in an area that is remote and normally difficult to reach.

A number of government offices, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police camp were damaged. The main hospital in Leh was also destroyed. To make it worse, communication lines snapped. Telephone towers and highways leading to the region were also affected. It took the Army and Air Force several hours to clear the Leh airport, where parts of the runway were covered in six inch slush.

A SEEDS assessment team has already left for Leh Ladakh.

Phase 1: SEEDS plan to establish "Safe House Clinics" consisting of structural engineers, construction workers and volunteers to assist in rebuild damaged homes.

Phase 2: SEEDS plan to rebuild new houses for the affected families based on the input from the assessment team.