Kishtwar Cloudburst Death Toll Climbs to 60; Hundreds Still Missing as Rescue Ops Intensify
The death toll from the catastrophic cloudburst and flash floods that obliterated a pilgrimage site in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district has climbed to 60, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed on Friday. As intense, multi-agency rescue operations entered their second day, hundreds of people remain missing and are feared buried under a sea of mud and debris that swept through the Chishoti village on the crowded Machail Mata Yatra route.
So far, 167 people have been rescued with injuries, 38 of them in serious condition. The sheer scale of the disaster is still unfolding, as the deluge flattened a makeshift market, a community kitchen for pilgrims, residential houses, temples, and a security outpost. With an estimated 1,200 people, mostly devotees, present at the site when the disaster struck on Thursday, officials fear the casualty count could rise significantly.
In light of the tragedy, the Kishtwar district administration has cancelled all Independence Day celebrations, limiting the ceremony to a simple flag hoisting. The grim task of identifying victims continues, with 21 of the 46 bodies retrieved so far having been identified by their families.
Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by adverse weather, which has grounded helicopters and made the remote terrain even more inaccessible. Communication lines beyond the disaster site have been snapped, leaving hundreds of people stranded in nearby villages with no power or mobile connectivity.
Despite the challenges, additional NDRF and Army teams have been inducted to intensify the search and rescue operation, joining Rashtriya Rifles troops already on the ground. Earthmovers are being deployed to clear massive boulders and uprooted trees that have engulfed the area.
The disaster occurred at Chishoti, the last motorable village on the way to the Machail Mata temple. A large number of pilgrims had gathered there for the annual yatra, which began on July 25 and has now been suspended indefinitely.
