Chisoti (Kishtwar): The death toll from the devastating cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district has climbed to 61, with rescue operations entering their fourth day on Sunday. Rescuers carried out three controlled blasts to clear massive boulders obstructing search efforts near the worst-hit site.
Army engineers have begun work on a bailey bridge to restore connectivity to Chisoti village and the Machail Mata shrine, expediting relief and rescue measures. Officials confirmed that another body was recovered from the debris on Sunday, bringing the fatalities to 61, while around 50 people remain missing. Three recovered bodies are yet to be identified.
The cloudburst struck Chisoti—the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple—on August 14, leaving over 100 people injured and causing widespread destruction. Flash floods flattened a makeshift market and a langar site for the yatra, damaged 16 houses, government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre bridge, and more than a dozen vehicles.
Despite overcast skies, joint teams of the Army, police, NDRF, SDRF, BRO, civil administration, and local volunteers continue to carry out search and relief operations with the help of heavy machinery and NDRF dog squads. The bridge construction work is underway, with controlled explosions temporarily halting progress.
Major General A P S Bal, GOC of the Army’s counter-insurgency Delta Force, said a 17-metre bailey bridge was being installed to restore smooth movement across the river. He added that the Army reached the disaster site within 45 minutes of receiving information and has been providing medicines, food, and other essentials to survivors.
Meanwhile, political leaders, including J&K Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra, working president Raman Bhalla, and former BJP chief Ravinder Raina, visited Chisoti. Karra urged the Centre to declare the tragedy a “national calamity” and ensure proper compensation for victims. He also questioned why the Kishtwar-Machail road was never upgraded to a national highway despite a proposal submitted over a decade ago, and why the yatra was not halted despite adverse weather warnings.
“This is one of the most tragic incidents in recent times. We cannot afford to play with nature and must prioritize the fragile ecology of this region,” Karra said, adding that a detailed report will be submitted to the Congress high command.
The annual Machail Mata Yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5, has remained suspended for the fourth consecutive day. The pilgrimage involves an 8.5-km trek from Chisoti, about 90 km from Kishtwar, to the shrine situated at 9,500 feet.
