Record-breaking rain fuels deadly floods in India's Jammu region

Srinagar, India: Floods and landslides triggered by record breaking heavy rain have killed more than 30 people in India s Himalayan region of Jammu an...

Srinagar, India: Floods and landslides triggered by record-breaking heavy rain have killed more than 30 people in India's Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Wednesday.

A landslide on the route to the famous Hindu shrine Vaishno Devi killed 33 people, local disaster management official Mohammad Irshad told AFP.

India's Meteorological Department said the torrential rain had smashed records in two locations.

Jammu and Udhampur recorded their highest 24-hour rainfall on Wednesday, with 296 mm (11.6 inches) in Jammu, nine percent higher than the 1973 record, and 629.4 mm (24.8 inches) in Udhampur -- a staggering 84 percent surge over the 2019 mark.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the loss of lives was "saddening".