Monsoon Landslides Cause Widespread Deaths and Disruptions

Torrential monsoon rains have caused widespread landslides, flash floods, and travel disruptions across northern Pakistan, northern India, and Taiwan. In Pakistan, at least 221 people, including over 100 children, have died and more than 500 have been injured since late June, with a fatal landslide in Gilgit-Baltistan burying vehicles and leaving many missing. Northern India, particularly Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir, faces red and orange monsoon alerts, with fatal landslides, road closures, school shutdowns, and hundreds of blocked routes reported. A major landslide on the old Vaishno Devi shrine track in Jammu and Kashmir injured up to 10 people, suspended the pilgrimage, and forced rerouting, while another landslide disrupted the Jammu-Srinagar highway. In Taiwan, persistent rains have rendered parts of the Southern Cross-Island Highway impassable and caused local flooding, increasing the risk of further landslides. Authorities across all affected regions are conducting rescue and restoration operations and urging the public to avoid vulnerable areas as adverse weather persists.