JAMMU: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha are set to visit Chisoti village in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir, which was struck by a cloudburst, to review ongoing search operations and meet with the affected residents.
The death toll from the disaster, which hit Chisoti—the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple—on August 14 has risen to 65, including three CISF personnel and one J&K Police Special Police Officer (SPO). Over 100 people sustained injuries, and 32 remain missing.
An official said Singh and Sinha will visit the village on Sunday to assess the search operations conducted by multiple agencies over the past nine days and to interact with those affected.
Several senior leaders have already visited Chisoti to oversee relief efforts and engage with the local community. On August 16, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the village to evaluate the damage caused by the cloudburst-induced flash floods. He later announced ex gratia compensation from the CM’s relief fund for the families of the deceased, alongside support from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
On the same day, Union Minister Jitendra Singh reviewed the rescue and relief operations, emphasizing the priority of locating the missing individuals believed to be trapped under debris.
Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma has been present in the cloudburst-hit area since August 14, assisting with relief efforts in his assembly segment of Paddar-Nagseni.
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Pankaj Sharma, supervising the large-scale rescue operations for the ninth consecutive day on Friday, stated that efforts continue to locate the remaining 32 missing persons.
