Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said he had briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the devastating cloudburst in a remote Kishtwar village that claimed 60 lives and left over 100 injured.
“I just received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I informed him about the situation in Kishtwar and the measures being taken by the administration,” Abdullah wrote on X, adding that both the government and the affected people are grateful for the Centre’s support and assistance.
Speaking earlier at the Independence Day function in Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium, Abdullah said the tragedy occurred on Thursday and stressed the need to determine whether there had been any administrative lapses, as there had been prior weather warnings.
Delivering his first Independence Day address since becoming Chief Minister in October last year, Abdullah began by expressing condolences to the bereaved families.
“Today is a day of celebration for the country, but the loss of lives in this cloudburst is deeply saddening. According to the latest information, around 60 people have died, many more are injured, and several remain missing,” he said, praying for the speedy recovery of the injured and assuring that government aid would not be lacking.
He added that in the days ahead, the administration must examine if more could have been done to prevent the loss of life.
“With the weather forecast already indicating heavy rain and flash floods, could the government and administration have taken additional steps to save these precious lives? We must hold ourselves accountable,” he said.
