“It felt like the wrath of God. The debris was flowing like a mad dragon out to chew us all. We were extremely lucky to survive,” said Sham Lal, a survivor from Jammu.
The cloudburst triggered massive landslides and mudslides, burying houses, temples, a bridge, government buildings, and several vehicles. A community kitchen set up for pilgrims, where scores had gathered, along with a nearby security camp, was washed away.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday, assuring them of full support.
“Spoke to Jammu and Kashmir LG, Shri Manoj Sinha Ji and CM Shri Omar Abdullah Ji regarding the situation in the wake of the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected,” the Prime Minister wrote on X.The cloudburst struck around 12:30 PM on Thursday in the Chisoti area, about 90 km from Kishtwar town – the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple. A large number of pilgrims were in the area for the annual yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5. The 8.5 km trek to the 9,500-feet-high shrine starts from Chisoti. Many people were also stranded in nearby Hamori village and could not be contacted, as power lines were down and mobile devices had run out of charge.CM Omar Abdullah visited Chisoti on Friday afternoon to take stock of the situation. His cabinet minister, Javed Dar, confirmed that 65 people had been killed so far. Locals claimed to have seen some bodies floating in the Chenab River, but officials have not confirmed those reports. The exact number of casualties, injuries, or missing persons is yet to be finalised as rescue operations continue.Officials warned that the toll may rise as several people are still missing. Rescue efforts by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, army, paramilitary forces, and volunteer groups are ongoing. Chopper deployment has been hindered due to poor weather conditions.
The Jammu-based White Knight Corps of the Indian Army stated that additional rescue and medical teams have been deployed and are working around the clock.
“Teams on the ground are prioritising saving lives and providing assistance to those in need in close coordination with other agencies,” the army said. Volunteer teams from humanitarian organisations, including Ababeel, with nine ambulances, and Hilal Volunteers, are also on the ground, helping in rescue efforts and transporting the injured to hospitals in Kishtwar, Udhampur, and Jammu. “Rescue operation is going on, but the debris is too heavy and difficult to remove. We have shifted several critically injured people to hospital,” said Shagun Parihar, BJP legislator from Kishtwar, speaking to ET. BJP leaders, led by party president Sat Sharma, also visited the affected area.
