Kishtwar district saw sever flooding after the cloud burst on Thursday August 14. The incident, which took place along the route to the Machail Matta Yatra in the Padder sub-division, triggered panic among locals in the region. Following this tragic incident President Droupadi Murmu expressed heartfelt condolences to the grieving families in cloudburst. The massive cloudburst struck Chishoti village in Kishtwar district today, triggering flash floods and extensive damage, with several people feared missing.
In a post on X, President Murmu said, "The news of several deaths due to a cloudburst in Kishtwar, Jammu-Kashmir, is extremely tragic. I express my heartfelt condolences to the grieving families and pray for the success of relief and rescue operations."
As of now Local administration teams are on the ground, evacuating residents, providing medical aid, and working to restore normalcy in the affected areas. Authorities are assessing damage and prioritising the safety of people in vulnerable zones. As per the Deputy Commissioner of Kishtwar, Pankaj Sharma, the rescue operations are still underway. Meanwhile, two NDRF teams, comprising nearly 180 personnel, have been rushed to the site after the massive cloudburst struck the region.
The NDRF teams, equipped with advanced search-and-rescue gear, were rushed from the force's Udhampur base following instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs. They are in close coordination with the local administration and state disaster management teams so that they can evacuate stranded residents, provide medical aid, and ensure the supply of essential relief materials.
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In a post on X, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the situation in the Chashoti area of Kishtwar as "grim". The cloudburst triggered flash floods and extensive damage. The calamity occurred between 12 noon and 1 pm in the Chasoti area, the last motorable point en route to the revered Machail Mata temple, at a time when a large crowd of pilgrims had assembled for the annual Machail Mata Yatra. The sudden surge of water swept through parts of the village, destroying property and severing road links to remote areas. (ANI)