Two teenage girls were killed by a landslide at Mundral in Kishtwar District, Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday 7 July 2013. The two have been named as Sushma (17) and Deksha (13), who were grazing cattle at the time of the incident.
The approximate location of the 7 July 2013 Mundral landslide. Google Maps.
The Himalayan region has suffered a series of flooding and weather-related events since the onset of the Monsoon Season in June. This has lead to a number of landslide events, as well as rivers bursting their banks and the partial collapse of the Chorabari Glacier in Uttarakhand. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall, but the situation in Uttarkhand and the surrounding area is thought to have been made much worse by extensive deforestation, sand extraction and quarrying (much of it illegal) and unregulated building construction across the affected area.
See also Woman killed in landslide in Jammu and Kashmir, Two women killed in landslide in Darchula District, Nepal, Two killed in Nepal Landslide, Man killed in Kerala Landslide and Hundreds feared dead after collapse of Chorabari Glacier.
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