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SRINAGAR, India, Aug 14, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Powerful torrents driven by intense rain smashed into a Himalayan mountain village in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday, with a government minister warning of the possibility of "substantial" casualties.

It is potentially the second major deadly flooding disaster in India this month.

An official in Kishtwar district, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said initial reports "suggest around 50 people were washed away" in the flood.

AFP was unable to immediately verify the report.

Sushil Kumar, a resident of nearby Atholi village, told AFP: "I saw at least 15 dead bodies brought to the local hospital."

Floods on August 5 swept away the Himalayan town of Dharali in India's Uttarakhand state and buried it in mud. The likely death toll from that disaster is more than 70 but has yet to be confirmed.

Floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season from June to September but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency and severity.

"The news is grim," Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a statement. "All possible resources are being mobilised".

His office said he "expressed deep sorrow over the tragic cloudburst" in Kishtwar, and offered "condolences to the bereaved families".

However, no official toll has been given yet.

Jitendra Singh, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, said the reported cloudburst could result in "substantial" casualties.

Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that 12 bodies had been recovered, citing officials who warned that the toll could rise.

A video clip shared by an eyewitness showed damaged houses hanging precariously beside what seemed to a flow of mud and debris.

Rescue teams are likely to face difficulty reaching the area.

Roads had already been damaged by days of heavy storms. The area lies more than 200 kilometres from the (125 miles) from the region's main city Srinagar.

The UN's World Meteorological Organization said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a "distress signal" of what is to come as climate change makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable.