Kishtwar Cloudburst: Rescue Ops Enter Day 4, Death Toll Climbs to 61
Chisoti (J&K), Aug 17 — The death toll from the devastating cloudburst in Kishtwar district has reached 61, with rescue teams continuing operations for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday. Officials said three controlled blasts were carried out to remove massive boulders blocking access to key impact sites.
Army engineers have also begun constructing a 17-metre bailey bridge to reconnect Chisoti village with the Machail Mata shrine and speed up relief efforts.
The cloudburst struck Chisoti—the last motorable point en route to the temple—on August 14, leaving over 100 injured and dozens missing. While the number of missing persons has dropped to 50, three recovered bodies are still unidentified.
The flash floods destroyed 16 homes, several government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre bridge, a makeshift market, and langar facilities for the annual Machail Mata Yatra, besides damaging more than a dozen vehicles.
Rescue teams from the Army, NDRF, SDRF, police, BRO, civil administration, and local volunteers are using earth-movers, heavy machinery, and dog squads to speed up the search.
Major General A.P.S. Bal of the Army’s Delta Force said the bridge would be completed by Sunday evening and stressed that the Army had responded to the disaster within 45 minutes. He added that relief supplies including food and medicines are being provided alongside rescue operations.
Meanwhile, political leaders including J&K Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra, working president Raman Bhalla, and ex-BJP president Ravinder Raina visited Chisoti. Karra urged the Centre to declare the disaster a national calamity and compensate victims accordingly, also questioning why the road had not been upgraded to a national highway and why the yatra was not halted despite weather warnings.
The Machail Mata Yatra, which began on July 25 and was due to conclude on September 5, remains suspended for the fourth consecutive day.
