Devotees killed in floods during Kashmir pilgrimage

At least eight people were killed when sudden rains triggered flash floods during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to an icy Himalayan cave in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday, police said.

Officials said in addition to the deaths, an unspecified number of injured devotees were airlifted to hospitals for treatment. The cloudburst near the mountain cave revered by Hindus sent a wall of water down a gorge and swept away about two dozen camps and two makeshift kitchens.

An estimated 10,000 people were in the mountains when the rains struck. Emergency workers were searching for several missing people. The Amaranth pilgrimage began on June 30 and tens of thousands of pilgrims have already visited the cave shrine where Hindus worship Lingam, a naturally formed ice stalagmite.

Hundreds of thousands of Hindus from across India take part in the pilgrimage, which lasts up to 45 days. The cave, at 13,500 feet above sea level, is covered with snow most of the year except for the short period in summer when it is open to pilgrims.