Leh, India-administered Kashmir – On August 6, 2010, a cloudburst triggered sudden rains and flash floods, leading to untold devastation all across Ladakh, the remotest part of India-administered Kashmir.

Tucked in the Himalayas, the cold arid desert plateau is situated close to the eastern Line of Actual Control (LAC) – dividing India-administered territory from Chinese-administered Aksai Chin.

Even after four years, the ruins in Leh – the administrative capital of Ladakh and one of the worst hit areas – remain as a haunting sign of loss and grief.

A cloudburst is a sudden weather event, with extreme precipitation and the rate of rainfall can be higher than 100 millimetres per hour.

One night of flash floods killed more than 250 people including six foreigners.

The storm lasted an hour around midnight, but the sudden downpour caused mudslides coursing down the jagged mountain peaks; buildings collapsed, burying scores as they slept and rendering thousands homeless.

The village of Choglamsar, 8km from Leh, was one of the worst hit areas. The people have been resettled to nearby areas, but the crumbled and abandoned houses continue to show the scars of the disaster.