Kishtwar Flash Floods: Search Operations Enter Day 3, J&K CM Visits Chisoti; 60 Dead
Search and relief operations continued for the third consecutive day on Saturday in Chisoti village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, following a devastating cloudburst earlier this week that claimed over 60 lives and injured more than 100.
Officials confirmed that 46 bodies have been identified and handed over to their families, while at least 75 people remain missing. Locals fear the actual death toll could be higher, as many may have been swept away in the floods or trapped under debris, boulders, and logs. Among the confirmed victims are two CISF personnel and a Special Police Officer.
The disaster struck Chisoti — the last road-accessible settlement on the way to the Machail Mata shrine — around 12:25 pm on August 14, destroying homes, shops, and critical infrastructure.
Kishtwar Flash Floods: Key Points
- Rescue Push: Authorities deployed nearly a dozen excavators and heavy machinery, supported by NDRF dog squads and specialised equipment, to expedite recovery operations.
- CM Visits Site: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the affected area on Saturday. He was briefed by Army personnel and also used a VR headset to assess the scale of destruction.
- Widespread Damage: The floods washed away a pilgrim market, a yatra community kitchen, a security post, 16 houses, several government offices, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre bridge, and over a dozen vehicles.
- Air Force Support: The IAF has kept two Mi-17 helicopters and an Advanced Light Helicopter on standby at Jammu and Udhampur to aid relief efforts.
- Union Minister’s Visit: Union Minister Jitendra Singh, accompanied by J&K DGP Nalin Prabhat, reached Chisoti late Friday night to oversee ongoing operations.
- Pilgrimage Halted: The annual Machail Mata Yatra, which began on 25th July and was scheduled to end on 5th September, remains suspended. The 8.5 km trek to the shrine at 9,500 feet starts from Chisoti, about 90 km from Kishtwar town.
- Final Rites Ongoing: Of the identified bodies, 34 have been handed over to families in Kishtwar, Jammu, Udhampur, and Doda districts, with most already cremated.
