It's not cloudburst: IMD
IAF has pressed its transport and helicopter assets into service for rescue and relief operations at the affected areas near the Amarnath shrine. Mi-17V5 helicopters have inducted NDRF and civil administration personnel at Panchtarni and rescued 21 survivors
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said the deaths and destruction near the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir were due to a highly localised rain event and not due to a cloudburst.
According to weather scientists, the shrine reported 31 mm of rainfall between 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm on Friday, which is quite low to be categorised as a cloudburst.
"The flash floods could have been triggered due to rainfall in the higher reaches of the mountains near the Amarnath cave shrine," IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.
According to the IMD, a rain event is categorised as a cloudburst if a weather station receives 100 mm of rain in one hour. The IMD has an automatic weather station near the Amarnath cave shrine which provides weather forecasts during the pilgrimage.