Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that chances of finding survivors in the Kishtwar tragedy were bleak, clarifying that the disaster was triggered by a cloudburst and not a glacial lake breach.
“Finding the missing persons alive now looks nearly impossible. Our focus will be on retrieving the bodies and handing them over to their families. Based on the information so far, this calamity was caused by a cloudburst, not by a glacial lake outburst,” Abdullah told reporters.
He added that the government would appoint a team of experts to identify other vulnerable areas in the region and submit recommendations to prevent such incidents in the future.
“A similar incident occurred in Ramban some months ago, where financial loss was higher but casualties were fewer. This time, the human loss is far greater. We will ask experts to assess vulnerable areas and suggest measures to minimize risks,” the CM said.
J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo confirmed that 61 people have died in the cloudburst and flash floods in Kishtwar, while 116 others have been rescued.
“Security forces and various agencies immediately launched a joint search and rescue mission. Nearly 450 personnel from the Army, J&K Police, CRPF, CISF, BRO, and NHPC are engaged in round-the-clock operations,” Dulloo said.
CISF DIG MK Yadav added that rescue work was continuing with heavy machinery and multiple agencies on the ground. “Teams of SDRF, NDRF, CISF, and local police have divided the area into zones for better coordination. We are hopeful of rescuing more people. The situation is improving,” he said.
