A massive cloudburst struck a remote mountain village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Thursday, killing at least 30 people including two CISF personnel, officials said.
The death toll could go up as more people are believed to be trapped, officials said, adding that 120 people have been rescued so far. Of these, the condition of 38 is said to be serious.
While a large-scale rescue operation was already launched by NDRF, SDRF, police, Army and local volunteers, the authorities have mobilised more rescuers, including two fresh teams of NDRF to safeguard lives, officials said.
The disaster struck Chositi, the last motorable village en route to Machail Mata temple, between 12 noon and 1 pm. A large number of people had gathered there for the annual Machail Mata yatra, which commenced on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5. The 8.5 kilometre trek to the 9,500-feet-high shrine begins from Chositi.
Chositi is about 90 kilometres from Kishtwar town. A ‘langar’ (community kitchen) set up for the devotees here bore the brunt of the cloudburst, which led to flash floods and washed away several structures including shops and a security outpost.
Immediately after the calamity struck, Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma, along with the senior superintendent of police, mobilised rescue teams and headed towards the spot to personally supervise the operations.
The officials said two more NDRF teams were mobilised from Jammu later to speed up the rescue efforts.
Army’s White Knight Corps said efforts are on to safeguard lives and aid the survivors.
“In the aftermath of a cloudburst at Chisoti (Chositi) village, Kishtwar, troops of White Knight Corps swiftly mobilised for rescue and relief ops (operations). Efforts are centred on safeguarding lives and aiding survivors. Search for missing continues. Relief stores, medical teams and rescue gear rushed to site. We Serve, We Protect,” the corps said in an X post.
Officials said the langar was packed with devotees when the calamity struck.
“A massive cloudburst in Chositi area, which could result in substantial casualty. Administration has immediately swung into action, rescue team has left for the site,” Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in an X post. The minister said he also spoke to Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner on the matter.
The annual yatra to the Machail Mata shrine was suspended following the tragedy as the authorities mobilised all resources for rescue operations at Chositi, officials said.
Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been rushed from Udhampur to Kishtwar.
“Massive rescue operations have been started in the area,” said the deputy commissioner, who was on way to the spot.
Officials added that the flash floods hit several houses clustered together in the foothills.
Lt Gov Manoj Sinha condoled the loss of lives in the incident.
“Anguished by cloudburst in Chositi Kishtwar. Condolences to bereaved families and prayers for quick recovery of the injured. Directed Civil, Police, Army, NDRF and SDRF officials to strengthen the rescue and relief operations and ensure all possible assistance is provided to the affected,” he said on X.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma said he had received information from his workers that a massive cloudburst has occurred. “At the moment, I don’t think anyone has exact figures but I believe there could be significant damage in the area,” he said, adding that there were a lot of people gathered for the yatra.
Former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also expressed grief over the incident.
“Deeply saddened by the cloudburst in Chositi, Kishtwar. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured. Urge the govt to immediately carry out rescue & relief operations and ensure all possible assistance and treatment for those affected,” he said in a post on X.
BJP leader Jehanzaib Sirwal, while extending his deepest condolences to the affected people, said the heart-breaking incident underscores a broader concern that cannot be ignored –the unchecked proliferation of power projects in Kishtwar.
“While development is essential, the ongoing projects, pursued without rigorous mechanisms or proper environmental assessments, pose a grave threat to our fragile ecosystem,” Sirwal said, urging the Centre to institute immediate and thorough checks on these initiatives.
“If robust measures are not implemented even now, the consequences for Kishtwar and its people could be even more catastrophic in the years ahead,” he said.