At least 16 killed as flash floods hit Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir

Thousands rescued from makeshift camps in Himalayas after sudden deluge in Indian-controlled region

Emergency workers rescued thousands of pilgrims after flash floods swept through their makeshift camps during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to a Himalayan cave in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens, officials said.

Authorities suspended the pilgrimage for two days as the sudden rains continued to lash the region. Teams of rescuers from India's military, paramilitary and police as well as disaster management officials combed through the slippery mountain tracks and used thermal imaging devices, sniffer dogs and radars to locate dozens of missing people. Civilian and military helicopters evacuated the injured to hospitals.