44 killed, over 300 injured in Leh flash floods

SRINAGAR - At least 44 people have been killed and over 300 injured in flash floods triggered by a massive cloudburst in Leh town of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region, police said Friday.

A massive cloudburst struck the town around midnight Thursday, triggering flash floods and mud slides, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir zone) Farooq Ahmed told IANS.

A polytechnic college, headquarters of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp, many government offices and houses have been damaged. The Leh airport has been inundated.

As many as 4,000 army men, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police personnel have launched a massive relief and rescue operation.

Over 160 injured people have been admitted to the army hospital.

All communication in the town has been disrupted and authorities are finding it very difficult to reach administration officials there.