SRINAGAR — Indian army and disaster response teams intensified rescue operations across the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday as flooding killed dozens and forced thousands from their homes, Jammu and Kashmir government officials said. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who cut short a Delhi visit, coordinated relief efforts.

The National Disaster Response Force said swollen rivers and heavy monsoon rains had submerged low-lying areas of Srinagar and surrounding districts. State disaster management authorities reported evacuations of residents from riverside neighbourhoods as water levels approached danger marks on the Jhelum river.

Abdullah left Delhi on Monday, abandoning a planned protest over statehood demands to return to the emergency. His office said the Chief Minister reviewed relief camps and directed administrators to prioritise stranded families, medical supplies and drinking water.

Schools across affected districts were ordered shut. The flooding revived memories of the devastating 2014 Kashmir floods, which killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands.

State officials appealed to the central government in New Delhi for additional funds and equipment, while the India Meteorological Department warned of further rainfall in the coming days. Relief agencies said the priority was reaching cut-off villages where roads and bridges had been washed away.

The J&K administration said helicopters had been placed on standby to evacuate residents from the worst-hit areas.