Srinagar, Aug. 18 -- The morning of August 14, 2025, in Chositi, Kishtwar, began like any other. Villagers prepared for the Machail Mata Yatra, pilgrims wandered the narrow mountain paths, and the sun shone over the peaks.

By 11:30 a.m., the sky darkened abruptly. Rain poured down in sheets, heavier than anything locals could remember.

Rivers overflowed, sweeping away homes, bridges, and roads. Landslides buried paths, isolating villages. Sixty-three people died. Dozens went missing.

Within minutes, entire villages were flooded by unstoppable torrents. But Kishtwar isn't alone in facing this danger.

Cloudbursts, sudden and intense rainfall events, have become a recurring terror across Jammu and Kashmir. These storms can dump over 100 ...