January 15, 2020

Avalanches kill at least 100 in Kashmir

WATCH: 100 people killed by avalanches, landslides in Pakistan

Dozens of people have been killed by avalanches and landslides that have swept through the Pakistan-controlled portion of Kashmir, officials said.

Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority put the death toll at 100 on Wednesday, though that number is expected to increase.

STR/AFP via Getty Images
Local residents remove debris of a collapsed house following heavy snowfall that triggered an avalanche in Neelum Valley in the Pakistan-controlled portion of Kashmir on Jan. 14, 2020.

Hundreds of people in remote villages remain stranded in the snow as rescuers rush to save them.

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Nearly 200 homes and other structures have been damaged by the avalanches across the mountainous region, officials said. Kashmir’s Neelum Valley was among the worst affected areas.

STR/AFP via Getty Images
Local residents search for victims in the snow after an avalanche in Neelum Valley in the Pakistan-controlled portion of Kashmir on Jan. 15, 2020.

Heavy rain and snow has pummeled the disputed region in recent days, triggering the deadly avalanches as well as landslides. The severe weather has hampered rescue efforts.

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Avalanches and landslides are common in Kashmir, which is divided between Pakistan and India, though both sides claim the entire territory.

Reporting by Habibullah Khan in Islamabad, Pakistan. Writing by Morgan Winsor in London, England.