On the night of my arrival in Leh on the 5th of August 2010, unprecedented massive cloudbursts triggered flash floods and mudslides in Leh town and the surrounding areas around midnight causing unimaginable destruction in the region. What started as a normal monsoon night has changed the lives of so many people in Leh.

People in their sleep at home and people attempting to run were all either carried to their death with the slide or were buried deep under mud and massive boulders with no chance of survival. The flash flood and the mudslide carried with it whatever came its way including offices, the bus stand, the main town hospital and many residential houses.

More than 150 dead bodies were recovered and a few hundred more are feared to be buried under the mud and the boulders that have replaced the residential areas. The lucky few escaped with their lives but their houses were turned into rubble.

As for the Tibetan in the area, there were two known cases of death. But many houses in camp no. 12 and camp no. 10 of the Tibetan settlement were completely razed to the ground forcing people to shift to makeshift camps put up by the Tibetan Settlement officer with the kind help from the local authority and the army. We on our part were happy to contribute some plastic water tanks which could be used to store water brought to the camps by the army for the displaced people.

Besides the houses and the household property loss, the fields of these people were completely destroyed leaving no source of income for them. There was also loss of livestock kept by some of the people.

We express our sympathy for all the effected people and our prayers with those who have lost their lives.

In order to help these people in distress, we appeal to all our well wishers and friends to kindly donate generously so that an effort can be made to bring the lives of the effected people back to normal at the earliest.

For sending money for the cause please click here to know how the money could be transferred.

I thank all for their kind help.

I would personally like to thank all my well wishers who have been mailing me enquiring about my well being. I thank you all for your prayers.

- 18th August 2010