Sixteen people have died after torrential rain triggered flash floods during an annual pilgrimage in India.
The nation's armed forces and rescue teams are out in mass as around 40 people remain unaccounted for following the freak incident.
Dozens of injured people have been shifted to nearby hospitals while many people are believed to be still trapped under the debris.
It happened during the annual Hindu pilgrimage, which began on June 30 and was due to last 43 days.
Heavy monsoon rains have caused dozens of deaths in neighbouring Pakistan, with huge numbers made homeless.
A spokesperson for the Indian Government said: "Both the army and civilian helicopters are carrying out relentless sorties to evacuate the injured and the dead."
The pilgrimage was being held for the first time in two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 800,000 people expected to attend.
In normal years, tens of thousands of people cross glaciers and waterlogged trails to reach the cave which contains an ice stalagmite considered to be a physical manifestation of Hindu god Shiva.
The cave is covered in snow for most of the year, but pilgrims are allowed to visit for 45 days during the summer as rising temperatures clear the passes.
Local police have suspended the pilgrimage until further notice.
Director general Atul Karwal, of India's national disaster response force, said: "Sixteen people have been confirmed dead, while around 40 still seem to be missing.
"No landslides have been reported, but there is continuous rain."
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his shock and sadness over the deaths, writing on Twitter : "Anguished by the cloud burst near Shree Amarnath cave. Condolences to the bereaved families.
"Rescue and relief operations are underway. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected."
Intense floods killed dozens of people and left hundreds homeless in Pakistan, officials said today, as heavy monsoon rains battered the country.
In the southern province of Balochistan, 57 people, including women and children, were killed after being swept away in flood waters, according to Ziaullah Langove, the disaster and home affairs advisor to the province's chief minister, adding that eight dams had burst due to the heavy rains.
Hundreds more were left homeless after their homes collapsed in the rain and flooding, he said, adding monsoon rains were
continuing.
In north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province two people, including a six year-old, died and four were injured when their house collapsed due to rain, according to a district official statement.
Heavy rains have lashed the country in recent days, leaving large swathes of Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, inundated with water.
In neighbouring Afghanistan, 24 people have been killed by floods in the east and south of the country, a disaster management agency spokesman said on Friday.
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