Kishtwar: Rescue and relief operations resumed early Friday in the cloudburst-hit village of Chositi in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, despite ongoing rains, officials said. The efforts had been temporarily halted overnight to plan the search for survivors feared trapped under rubble and mud.
Several earth-moving machines, deployed by the district administration, joined the operation to clear giant boulders, uprooted trees, and fallen electricity poles, expediting the rescue efforts, officials added.
The disaster struck Chositi, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple, around 12:25 pm on Thursday, claiming 46 lives, including two CISF personnel. A large number of devotees had gathered in the village for the annual Machail Mata yatra, which started on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5. The 8.5 km trek to the 9,500-feet-high shrine begins from Chositi, located about 90 km from Kishtwar town. The yatra remained suspended for a second consecutive day on Friday.
So far, 167 people have been rescued with injuries, while 69 are reported missing by their relatives. Many more are believed to remain trapped as the deluge flattened a makeshift market, a yatra langar (community kitchen), and a security outpost.
The flash floods damaged at least 16 residential houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-meter bridge, and over a dozen vehicles in Chositi and downstream areas.
Rescue operations, suspended late Thursday night, resumed at first light Friday. Teams comprising police, army, NDRF, SDRF personnel, and local volunteers combed through the debris for survivors despite the persistent rain.
Videos from the site showed torrents of muddy water, silt, and rubble cascading down steep slopes, destroying everything in their path. Houses collapsed like cards, rocks tumbled onto roads and rescue paths, and the once-green landscape was turned a grim brown-grey.
Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma, along with Senior Superintendent of Police Kishtwar Naresh Singh, is overseeing the multi-agency operation on the ground.
The death toll rose steadily on Thursday, and authorities warned it could climb further. The fragile Himalayan region faced the tragedy just nine days after flash floods struck Dharali village in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, where one death has been confirmed and 68 people remain missing.
