Indian rescue teams dug through mud searching for victims, a day after the latest deadly flood to crash through a Himalayan village killed at least 60 people. Dozens more are missing, including Hindu pilgrims who were visiting a shrine, after torrents of water and mud driven by intense rain tore through the village in Kishtwar district in Indian-administered Kashmir.

It is the second major deadly flooding disaster in India this month. Officials said a large makeshift kitchen in Chisoti village, where more than 100 pilgrims were completely washed away by what Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reported was a sudden "cloudburst" rain storm.

Heavy earthmovers were brought to the disaster area overnight to dig through deep mud, huge boulders and rubble that the flood brought down the mountainside. The army's White Knight Corps said its troops, "braving the harsh weather and rugged terrain, are engaged in evacuation of injured". "The news is grim," Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a statement, reporting a "cloudburst" of heavy rain that had hit the Kishtwar district.

Crowds gathered at a Kishtwar hospital while people carried some of the injured on stretchers. Emergency kit including ropes and digging tools were being brought to the disaster site, with the army supporting other rescue teams. One survivor told the Press Trust of India news agency that he had heard a "big blast" when the wall of water hit the settlement.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)