New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the cloudburst in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, and urged authorities to accelerate relief and rescue efforts.
The devastating cloudburst struck the remote mountain village of Chositi, claiming at least 30 lives, including two CISF personnel, while several others remain trapped.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said he was deeply pained by the tragedy. “My heart goes out to the families of the victims, and I extend my deepest condolences to each of them. My thoughts and prayers are with the injured and those searching for missing loved ones,” he said.
He urged authorities to deploy additional NDRF and Armed Forces teams to strengthen relief and rehabilitation operations. “In this grim situation, Congress workers must extend all possible assistance to the affected people,” Kharge added.
Former party chief Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, described the loss of lives and the number of missing in Kishtwar as “extremely tragic.” He offered his condolences to the families and hoped that the missing are located soon. “I urge the administration to expedite relief and rescue operations. I request Congress leaders and workers to cooperate fully and provide every possible help to those in need,” he wrote.
Officials said a large-scale rescue operation is underway involving NDRF, SDRF, police, Army personnel, and local volunteers.
The disaster struck Chositi, the last motorable village on the route to the Machail Mata temple, between 12 noon and 1 pm. Many people had gathered for the Machail Mata yatra, which began on July 25 and is scheduled to conclude on September 5. The 8.5-km trek to the 9,500-ft-high shrine starts from Chositi.
