Cloudbursts in Leh, kill over 50, many declared missing

SRINAGAR - Over fifty people have been reported killed and many more still trapped or missing following cloudbursts in parts of Leh on Thursday night.

According to sources, the cloudbursts mainly hit the Choglumsar area, which is 13 kilometers from Leh. At least 14 bodies have been recovered in Leh so far, officials sources said.

The BSNL network in Leh has been completely damaged and the runway at the civil airport has been cut off from the rest of the country.

Official sources said that the death toll could be mount as the day progress, as flash floods have swept away several mud houses.

Other areas along the Sindhu River are yet to be accessed. A border police camp, several government offices and a hospital have also been damaged in the calamity.

The Indian Air Force is conducting aerial sorties over the area to assess the damage, while helicopters are on standby in Kargil, Thoise and Chandigarh.

The army has been deployed for relief operations and the injured have been shifted to the local army base hospital. (ANI)