J&K cloudburst: 75 reported missing, hundreds feared trapped, search enters day 3

Kishtwar: The search and relief operation in the cloudburst hit Chasoti in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir entered its third day on Saturday. Around 60 people lost their lives and over 100 were injured in the flash floods and landslides triggered by the cloudburst. Though the government claimed that around 75 people were reported missing, locals and eyewitnesses claim that hundreds may have been swept away by flash floods and buried under giant boulders, logs, and rubble.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, visited the devastated village late Friday night and reviewed ongoing rescue and relief efforts carried out by the police, army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration, and local volunteers operating in the high-altitude terrain.

"I think a disaster of this scale was never witnessed, at least in this part of the country, and it took everybody by surprise... the priority is to trace the people who are still missing," Singh told reporters at the village.

Stating that many people are still buried under the debris, he appreciated the rescuers and said they have swung into action despite all the constraints.

The Union minister said the police chief has been camping in the area to supervise the rescue operation, and the Border Roads Organisation has swung into action, as they can be helpful in removing the debris and sludge with their special equipment.

Asked about the relief package for cloudburst victims, Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken concrete steps, convened meetings and received a detailed briefing on Friday. He has also spoken to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

"Soon after I came out of the Independence Day programme, the first thing I did was to rush over here... So, you can understand the kind of priority and urgency the Modi government is giving to this calamity," he said.

In response to a question about the possible visit of PM Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah, he said the conditions are not very compatible for VVIP visits. "All of us are here, all the necessary assistance is being made available."

Before 2014, there was no connectivity, electricity, mobile towers or even a toilet facility in the village. "All this was built in the past few years, leading to a sudden surge in the number of pilgrims visiting this (Machail Mata) shrine. And all of this got destroyed in just a few seconds," the Union minister said.

Asked whether there was any plan to airlift critically injured people outside Jammu and Kashmir for specialised treatment, he said the government has already offered to provide chopper service for those who need to be shifted out of Jammu.

CM visits Chasoti
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday reached Chasoti village in the Kishtwar district to assess the damage caused by the flash floods.

So far, 46 bodies have been identified and handed over to their next of kin after completion of legal formalities.

Among the deceased were two personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and a Special Police Officer (SPO) of the local police, the officials added.

Tragedy struck Chasoti -- the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple -- around 12.25 pm on August 14. It flattened a makeshift market, a community kitchen site for the pilgrimage, and a security outpost.

At least 16 houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-meter-long bridge, and over a dozen vehicles were also damaged in the flash flood.

The annual Machail Mata Yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5, remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Saturday. The 8.5-kilometre trek to the 9,500-foot-high shrine starts from Chasoti, around 90 kilometres from Kishtwar town.