Cloudbursts are causing chaos in mountainous parts of India and Pakistan, with tremendous amounts of rain falling in a short period of time over a concentrated area.

Pope Leo XIV offered prayers and expressed his closeness for the victims of severe flooding that hit Pakistan, India and Nepal. The Pope shared his prayers “for the victims and their families, and for all those who are suffering as a result of this calamity,” Vatican News reported on Aug. 18.

Rescuers recovered dozens more bodies from the rubble of collapsed homes in a northwestern district of Pakistan, bringing the death toll to at least 274, as authorities defended their response to the flooding and said they did not need any foreign help at this point.

Reasserting Islamabad’s long-standing stance on Kashmir, Dar added, “The Kashmir cause remains just, the rights of the Kashmiri people inalienable, and Pakistan's support for their struggle unshakable until justice prevails. As we commemorate this day, let us renew our dedication to a stronger, more secure, and prosperous Pakistan.”