Flashfloods Ravage Leh

Dhasa: Over 113 people, including three Tibetans, are dead and 500 more are missing after a mudslide devastated Leh, in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, India, yesterday (August 6). A full rescue operation is under way and workers continue to search for survivors, amid fears that the death toll could surpass 500, after torrential rain hit the Himalayan region.

Choglamsar, located 5km from Leh, is believed to be one of the worst hit villages, where over 200 people are still reported missing. Villages along the Chang La pass, the world's second highest motorable highway, are also believed to have been swept away by the flash floods. The Leh-to-Manali road should be reopened within a couple of days as heavy earth-moving equipment has been called into service. The road, one of only two lifelines to Ladakh, is a vital access route for material relief, food, fuel and military supplies.