85 killed in flash floods in Kashmir

The death toll has risen to 85 in flash floods that hit a major town in Kashmir’s remote and mountainous Ladakh region. State police chief Kuldeep Khoda says at least 340 others have been injured. Communications to most parts of the region have been damaged so Khoda said on Friday that it is still unclear how many people have been left homeless. The flooding caused by an overnight downpour has also damaged the region’s airport and washed away hundreds of homes in and around Leh, the main town in Ladakh. The area is a high-altitude desert about 11,500 ft above sea level, and is popular with tourists. It normally experiences very low precipitation.