India floods and landslides kill at least 19 in Nagaland and Kashmir

Flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains killed at least 19 people across India on Sunday, with officials mounting rescue operations in the northeastern state of Nagaland and Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Eight people died in Nagaland's Mon district, near Myanmar, and 11 died in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, as authorities searched for survivors and assessed the damage.

How many people have died in India's floods and landslides?

At least 19 people have died so far, according to officials and local media. Nagaland's Mon district reported eight deaths, with four bodies recovered and rescue work ongoing. Jammu and Kashmir recorded 11 deaths, mostly in Rajouri, where flash floods caused extensive damage to homes, roads and the local bus stand.

"We have recovered four of the eight bodies, and rescue work is ongoing," Mon district magistrate Wennyei Konyak told AFP. He said at least 15 other people were injured in the district.

What is happening in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district?

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said he felt "profound anguish" over the flash flood in Rajouri, his office said in a statement. The flood caused extensive damage to public and private property, including the bus stand, and disrupted countless lives, the statement added.

Indian broadcaster NDTV reported that at least 11 people died and several others went missing in Jammu. Army personnel and state emergency responders rescued 11 people, including five children, in Rajouri district, the army said. The India Meteorological Department warned on Sunday that Jammu and Kashmir could see extremely heavy rainfall over the next two days.

Why were the Amarnath and Vaishno Devi pilgrimages suspended?

Officials temporarily suspended the annual Hindu Amarnath pilgrimage in the Kashmir region, citing the safety and well-being of pilgrims, the local government said. The pilgrimage will resume only once weather conditions improve and the routes are declared safe, officials added. More than 400,000 Hindus took part in the month-long pilgrimage last year.

Authorities also suspended the Hindu pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu, which draws millions of visitors each year. Both suspensions reflect the scale of the flooding and the risk to travel routes through the affected districts.

Do floods happen every year in India during monsoon season?

Floods and related accidents occur annually across India during the monsoon months, which follow the country's long summers. Many parts of India face severe water scarcity and drought-like conditions during the same period, even as other regions battle flooding.