SRINAGAR: A sudden cloudburst in the Pahalgam area of south Kashmir triggered flash floods on Saturday, inundating hotels, homes and roads, but 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.
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 pm. 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, breaking through walls and windows to create escape routes as floodwaters rapidly entered hotels. Elderly tourists were carried on the shoulders through the slush to safety.
The administration later shifted all evacuated tourists to safer accommodation. Officials said no deaths or injuries were reported in the flooding, and restoration and damage assessment are underway.
For many tourists, however, the defining story of the disaster was not the cloudburst but the courage displayed by local Kashmiris.
“We are all safe because of the hotel management. They did not care for their own lives. They broke walls and windows to evacuate us. They even carried tourists aged between 60 and 65 on their shoulders,” said Ritu Sharma, a tourist from Nagpur whose group of 12 was spending the final day of its Kashmir tour when the flash floods struck.
Describing the hotel staff as “angels,” Sharma appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to recognise and compensate them for their bravery.
“They proved that 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 said.
“We came here for the beauty of Kashmir, but we are leaving with the love of its people,” she added.
Mohammad Shafi, manager of one of the affected hotels, said protecting guests became the only 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.
“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,” he said.
Another rescued tourist, Vikram Joshi from Gujarat, said 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 said.
Sarita Anand, a tourist from Pune, recalled how a young hotel worker smashed a window with his bare hands to rescue her.
“He told me, ‘Maa, aap meri maa ho.’ I will never forget those words. If not for him, I would not be alive today,” she said.
Officials said personnel from the Army, police, BSF and civil administration also joined rescue operations after the flooding. A section of a road was reportedly washed away, while several hotels and houses sustained damage.
The cloudburst occurred amid the annual Amarnath Yatra, though authorities said all pilgrims and tourists in the affected area were safely evacuated.
Meanwhile, tragedy struck elsewhere 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 said water levels in the affected areas have receded and restoration work has begun, while assessment of damage to public and private property is continuing.
(With inputs from local gathering agencies)
