At Least 6 Die in Kashmir Landslide

Correction appended, March 30

A landslide in Kashmir killed at least six people, authorities said Monday, as unseasonal rains swept northern India and compelled hundreds to flee their homes over fears of flooding.

The landslide took place in a village about 25 miles from Indian-administered Kashmir’s capital city Srinagar, where a section of a hill buried a house where three families were sleeping, Reuters reports.

“The entire house is covered in earth,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a neighbor. “The chance of finding everyone alive is unlikely.”

Around 60 more villagers are trapped in three houses, officials told The Indian Express, and the Indian army has been called in to assist with the rescue efforts.

Meteorologists warned that the torrential rain that has damaged harvests in the region over the past month would persist, although the intensity is expected to reduce. Rural suicides in the region have also reportedly risen during the same period, as winter crops have been destroyed by the rains.

The devastation comes as Kashmiri families are still recovering from the region’s worst-ever flood last September, which claimed over 400 lives and rendered millions homeless.

Correction: The original version of his story incorrectly identified the number of people killed in the landslide. As of March 30, six people were found dead.

Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com.