Authorities have confirmed that sixteen people died in Indian Kashmir following a flash flood that destroyed a Hindu pilgrimage site.
Rescuers continued to look for missing persons among approximately 10,000 people who camped in a cave in Himalayan mountains near Amarnath temple.
An official from the state disaster response agency said that 16 bodies have been found so far, and that at least 40 others are still missing. He requested anonymity.
The flood, which was caused by a storm and washed away hundreds upon hundreds of tents.
Helicopters were used to evacuate the remains of the victims and unspecified numbers of injured.
This annual pilgrimage, which did not take place in 2020 or 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, saw hundreds of thousands of people trekking for days up rugged mountain passes to reach its shrine.
A large ice structure is a place where people pay tribute to Shiva, the Hindu god who destroys.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Condolences for the bereaved family,” Friday evening.
This pilgrimage saw 243 deaths in 1996 due to a snowstorm.
