SRINAGAR: A sudden cloudburst in the Pahalgam area of south Kashmir triggered flash floods on Saturday, inundating hotels, homes, and roads. Swift action by local hotel staff, residents, and rescue agencies ensured the safe evacuation of all tourists, including Amarnath pilgrims and holidaymakers, with no casualties reported.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the intense rainfall, believed to have been caused by a localised cloudburst, struck the forest areas of Awoora and Dehwathu in Anantnag district around 3 p.m. The overflowing Nala Overa stream flooded at least six hotels and several residential houses, forcing an emergency evacuation of tourists trapped inside the buildings.
Even before official rescue teams reached the area, local hotel employees and residents launched rescue operations. They broke through walls and windows to create escape routes as floodwaters rapidly entered the hotels. Elderly tourists were carried on shoulders through the slush to safety.
The administration later shifted all evacuated tourists to safer accommodation. Officials confirmed that no deaths or injuries were reported in the flooding, and restoration and damage assessment are currently underway.
For many tourists, the defining story of the disaster was not the cloudburst itself but the courage displayed by local Kashmiris. Ritu Sharma, a tourist from Nagpur, whose group of 12 was spending the final day of its Kashmir tour when the flash floods struck, recounted the experience. She stated that her group was safe due to the hotel management, who prioritized guest safety over their own belongings. She described how they broke walls and windows to evacuate guests, and personally carried tourists aged between 60 and 65 on their shoulders.
Sharma referred to the hotel staff as “angels” and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to recognise and compensate them for their bravery. She emphasised the unity demonstrated, stating, “We are all brothers, regardless of religion. Whether Hindu or Muslim, we are all one. These people are pure at heart. I appeal to my Hindu community to respect the people of Kashmir. Do not spread hatred against them. Humanity is alive in them.” She concluded by saying, “We came here for the beauty of Kashmir, but we are leaving with the love of its people.”
Mohammad Shafi, manager of one of the affected hotels, explained that protecting the guests became the sole priority once floodwaters entered the premises. “We had more than 40 guests, mostly Hindu families. When water entered the ground floor, we knew we had only minutes to act. We broke the back wall because the main exit was blocked. We lost our own belongings, but every guest is safe. That is what matters,” he said.
Among the rescuers was 19-year-old hotel employee Aamir Bhat, who carried an elderly woman through the floodwaters. He described the moment: “She was crying and calling out to God. I just held her hand and walked through the water. We don’t see religion when lives are at stake. They were our guests, but today they are our family.”
Vikram Joshi from Gujarat, another rescued tourist, shared that the selflessness shown by local residents left a lasting impression. “I have served in difficult areas, but I have never seen such selflessness. These boys lost their own houses—some of their families were also affected—yet they spent hours rescuing us. They did not even stop to check on their own homes,” he remarked.
Sarita Anand, a tourist from Pune, recalled how a young hotel worker smashed a window with his bare hands to rescue her. She shared an emotional memory: “He told me, ‘Maa, aap meri maa ho.’ I will never forget those words. If not for him, I would not be alive today.”
Officials reported that personnel from the Army, police, BSF, and civil administration joined rescue operations following the flooding. A section of a road was reportedly washed away, and several hotels and houses sustained damage.
The cloudburst occurred amidst the annual Amarnath Yatra. Authorities confirmed that all pilgrims and tourists in the affected area were safely evacuated.
Separately, a tragedy occurred in the Pahalgam region during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday when a 27-year-old labourer, Shabir Ahmad Shah of Aishmuqam, was killed after a boulder dislodged from a mountainside struck his tent at Chandanwari along the Amarnath Yatra route. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The administration stated that water levels in the affected areas have receded, and restoration work has commenced. The assessment of damage to public and private property is ongoing.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
