Jammu: Six days after a devastating cloudburst struck a remote village in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir, rescue teams continue their desperate search for those trapped under the debris.
For one widow, hope remains her only anchor as she waits anxiously for news of her only son, daughter-in-law, and young grandson, who went missing in the disaster that hit Chisoti, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple, on August 14.
So far, 65 people have been confirmed dead and 167 rescued, while rescue operations continue for 39 others reported missing by their families.
At her modest home in Digiana, on the outskirts of Jammu city—nearly 300 km from the disaster site—the elderly woman sits surrounded by her four married daughters, restlessly awaiting any news about her missing family: son Sahil Sharma (33), his wife Lovely (32), and their 11-year-old son, Raghav.
Each passing day intensifies the family’s anxiety, yet they cling to the faint hope of a miracle.
“My mother cannot speak to anyone. She hasn’t eaten and spends all her time praying for them to return safely. We are hopeful that the rescuers will find them alive,” said Suman, one of the woman’s daughters.
She explained that her brother and his family had gone for the yatra, and their mobile phones were switched off after their last call just minutes before the cloudburst struck.
“I would not have allowed him to go, given the weather forecast. Why was the yatra not stopped? We lost our father a year and a half ago, and we are still struggling to come to terms with that,” Suman said.
She recalled speaking to her brother on the eve of Raksha Bandhan, telling him she couldn’t visit due to her mother-in-law’s death, and promising instead to meet them on Janmashtami. “I told him that, and now…,” she choked, wiping away tears.
Officials supervising the rescue operation said the search will continue until every missing person is accounted for. But for the waiting families, the absence of news is unbearable.
“For us, hope is the only strength left,” Suman said.
Sahil’s brother-in-law added that he and three relatives visited Chisoti the day after the cloudburst and learned from another relative that Sahil and his family had been near the bridge when the flash floods struck.
“We came to know that many were swept away by the floodwaters. We met the officials on the ground and were assured of all possible assistance to locate our missing family members,” he said.
He added that rescuers share pictures of newly found bodies with families for identification. “Every time I see a new picture, it feels like the ground is slipping from under me. I am praying for their safe return,” he said.
