A massive cloudburst struck a remote Chositi village in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, killing over 40 people including two CISF personnel. The death toll could go up as more people are believed to be trapped.
The cloudburst struck Chositi, the last motorable village en route to Machail Mata temple, between 12 noon and 1 pm. It triggered flash flood and mudslide in the area.
A large number of people had gathered there for the annual Machail Mata yatra, which commenced on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5. The 8.5 kilometre trek to the 9,500-feet-high shrine begins from Chositi.
Immediately after the cloudburst struck, the administration mobilised rescue teams to launch the rescue operation.
The teams of NDRF, SDRF, police and civil agencies were engaged in the rescue operation.
Army’s White Knight Corps said efforts are on to safeguard lives and aid the survivors.
“In the aftermath of a cloudburst at Chisoti (Chositi) village, Kishtwar, troops of White Knight Corps swiftly mobilised for rescue and relief ops (operations). Efforts are centred on safeguarding lives and aiding survivors. Search for missing people continues. Relief stores, medical teams and rescue gear rushed to site. We Serve, We Protect,” the corps said in an X post.
Officials said the langar in the area setup for pilgrims was packed with devotees when the calamity struck.
They said over 40 people have been killed in the tragedy and 150 have been rescued with many of them sustaining injuries.
Many people are still trapped in the area and efforts are on to rescue them, officials said.
Videos showed torrents of muddy water, silt and rubble tearing through the steep slopes, destroying everything in the way. Houses folded over like pack of cards, rocks came tumbling down, blocking roads and rescue paths, the mudslide turning the verdant landscape to a grim brown-grey.
The annual yatra to the Machail Mata shrine was suspended following the tragedy as the authorities mobilised all resources for rescue operations at Chositi.
“Massive rescue operations have been started in the area,” said the deputy commissioner, who was on way to the spot.
Officials added that the flash floods hit several houses clustered together in the foothills.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma said he had received information from his workers that a massive cloudburst has occurred.
Sharma said on X, "Deeply distressed to learn about the devastating cloudburst in the Chositi area of Padder, which may lead to significant loss of life.I have just spoken with LG Manoj Sinha and DrJitendra Singh to assess the situation."
"NDRF teams and helicopters are being mobilized to the site at the earliest. Efforts are underway to evaluate the damage and coordinate rescue and medical operations. I am en route to the location to personally oversee the response and ensure that all necessary measures are taken," he said.
“At the moment, I don’t think anyone has exact figures but I believe there could be significant damage in the area,” he said, adding that there were a lot of people gathered for the yatra.