J&K Cloudburst: Rescuers Frantically Search for Survivors in Kishtwar; CM Puts Death Toll at 60

Braving intermittent rains, rescuers intensified their search for survivors in a cloudburst-hit village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Friday, even as Chief minister Omar Abdullah put the death toll in the tragic incident at 60, with an unspecified number of people still trapped.

The chief minister also said it needs to be ascertained if there was any lapse on the part of the administration as "we already knew about the weather (forecast, predicting heavy rains between August 13 and 15)".

Disaster struck Chisoti, the last motorable village on the way to the Machail Mata temple, around 12.25 pm on Thursday, leaving a trail of death and destruction. Rescuers pulled out 46 bodies, including that of two CISF personnel, on Thursday. In addition, 167 people have been rescued in an injured condition, while 69 others were reported missing by their relatives.

A large number of people had gathered in Chisoti for the annual Machail Mata pilgrimage that began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5. The 8.5-km trek to the 9,500-foot shrine begins from Chisoti, which is located about 90 km from Kishtwar town. The yatra remained suspended for a second day on Friday.

The deluge flattened a makeshift market, a langar (community kitchen) site for the pilgrimage and a security outpost, besides damaging 16 residential houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre span bridge and more than a dozen vehicles.

The rescue-and-relief operation was suspended late on Thursday night. It resumed with the first light of the day despite rains, with the rescuers comprising police, Army, NDRF, SDRF personnel and local volunteers sifting through the rubble to find the survivors.

The rains stopped around 7 am, leading to further intensification of the rescue mission, the officials said, adding that more bodies were retrieved from the debris but there were no survivors as chances of finding anyone alive diminished with each passing hour. Another spell of rain lashed the area for 20 minutes around 11:15 am.

Addressing an Independence-Day function at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium, Abdullah said at least 60 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in the tragic incident.

The chief minister started his address by expressing his sympathies for the families of the cloudburst victims.

"This is a joyous day for the people of the country, which is observing Independence Day. But at the same time, the loss of lives in a cloudburst is heartbreaking. According to the information received, some 60 people have lost their lives and many more are missing. We do not know their exact figure," he said.

Abdullah said he would like to take the opportunity to convey his condolences to those who have lost their near ones in the tragic incident.

"I would also like to pray for those who have been injured that they get well as soon as possible," he said, assuring the affected people that there will be no shortage of help from the government.

However, the chief minister said in the coming days, "we will have to figure out why this happened. Was there any lapse on the part of the administration, because we already had a weather forecast (about the possibility of heavy rains and flash floods).

"Could we have taken more steps from the government and the administration to save those precious lives? We have to make ourselves accountable," he added.

More than a dozen earth-movers requisitioned by the district administration have joined the rescue operation to move giant boulders, uprooted trees and electricity poles, the officials said.

Another team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel with special equipment also joined the search operation on Friday morning.

The officials said 30 bodies have so far been identified and handed over to their next of kin for the last rites.

Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar, along with Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti, visited the scene to review the rescue-and-relief operation, the officials said.

They said the two top officials also visited the Atholi Hospital to meet the injured people. They listened to the survivors, shared their concerns and assured them of all possible support.

Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma, along with Senior Superintendent of Police Naresh Singh, is camping in the area since Thursday to oversee the multi-agency operation on the ground.

The death toll went up steadily on Thursday and there were fears that it could rise further.

The fragile Himalayan slopes faced the disaster just nine days after flash floods wreaked havoc in Dharali village of Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district. Though only one person is confirmed dead in that incident, 68 people are still reported missing.