India floods and landslides kill at least 19 people

Flash floods and landslides caused by monsoon rains killed at least 19 people in India on Sunday, officials and local media said, as rescue operations continued in affected areas.

Eight people were killed in Nagaland, a northeastern state next to Myanmar. Wennyei Konyak, district magistrate of Nagaland's Mon district, said four of the eight bodies had been recovered and rescue work was continuing. He said at least 15 other people were injured.

In Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, 11 people died. Indian broadcaster NDTV said several others were missing in Jammu. The office of Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said he expressed anguish over a major flash flood in Rajouri, in the Jammu region. His office said the flood caused extensive damage to public and private property, including a bus stand, and disrupted many lives.

The Indian army said army personnel and state emergency responders rescued 11 people, including five children, in Rajouri district.

The India Meteorological Department warned on Sunday that extremely heavy rainfall could hit Jammu and Kashmir over the next two days. Officials announced the temporary suspension of the annual Hindu Amarnath pilgrimage in Kashmir, saying the move was made for the safety and well-being of pilgrims. The local government said the pilgrimage would resume only after weather conditions improved and routes were declared safe.

More than 400,000 Hindus took part in the month-long Amarnath pilgrimage in the region last year. Officials also suspended the Hindu pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu, which receives millions of visitors each year.

Floods and related accidents occur each year across India during the monsoon months, which follow long summers when many parts of the country face severe water scarcity and drought-like conditions.