Jammu: A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team on Friday reached Chisoti village in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir, which was struck by a devastating cloudburst, officials said. The disaster has claimed at least 46 lives, while 167 people have been rescued.
Of those rescued on Thursday, 38 remain in serious condition, officials added. The death toll has been rising steadily, and authorities fear it could increase further.
“The NDRF team is joining the ongoing rescue operation in the village. They arrived at Gulabgarh late last night,” Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Pankaj Sharma, told reporters.
Sharma, overseeing the operation, said helicopters could not be deployed due to adverse weather, so the team traveled by road from Udhampur. Two additional teams are en route to support the relief efforts, as the destruction is widespread, officials said.
The Army has also deployed another column to bolster the search and rescue operations, with Rashtriya Rifles troops participating. Currently, over 300 personnel—organized in five columns of 60 each—along with medical teams from the White Knight Corps, are working tirelessly in coordination with police, SDRF, and civilian agencies to save lives and provide aid.
Volunteer organizations have also joined the efforts. Teams from Ababeel, bringing nine ambulances, reached the village yesterday. “We assist in retrieving bodies and transporting the injured to hospitals in Atholi and Kishtwar,” said volunteer Adil.
Another group, Hilal Volunteers, has also been active in the rescue operations, ferrying injured people to hospitals.
