Chositi (India), 15 August (LaPresse/AP) – More than 200 people have died and dozens are missing in India and Pakistan following flash floods caused by torrential rains that have hit Indian Kashmir and northern Pakistan over the past 24 hours. In Indian-controlled Kashmir, flash floods have killed at least 60 people and left 80 missing, with rescuers saving at least 300 people, while in Pakistan, floods have killed at least 164 people and rescuers have evacuated 1,300 tourists who were stranded. Intense and sudden rainfall over small areas, known as “cloudbursts”, are becoming increasingly frequent in the Himalayan regions of India and northern Pakistan, which are prone to flash floods and landslides, affecting thousands of people in mountainous regions. Experts say cloudbursts have increased in recent years, partly due to climate change, while damage caused by storms has also increased due to unplanned development in mountainous regions.
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