Kishtwar cloudburst: Death toll climbs to 64 after woman's body recovered

The death toll at Chisoti village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district climbed to 64 on Tuesday, 19 August, after rescuers recovered woman's body during the ongoing relief and rescue operation, which has now entered its sixth day.

Officials said the decomposed body was found downstream during an intensified search operation after an improvement in weather conditions. Sniffer dogs also helped recover the lower body part of another victim from the debris of a collapsed house, believed to belong to a person already identified earlier.

Rescue teams, aided by heavy machinery, earth-movers, and dog squads, continue to sift through rubble at multiple sites, especially near a langar (community kitchen) that bore the brunt of the cloudburst.

The disaster struck Chisoti, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple, flattening a makeshift market and langar site for pilgrims. Sixteen houses, several government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre bridge, and more than a dozen vehicles were damaged.

VIDEO | Kishtwar, J&K: Relief and rescue operation enters sixth day in Chisoti village.
Cloudburst struck Chisoti, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple, on August 14.

(Full video available on PTI Videos- https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/zskOuZT1X5

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Kishtwar cloudburst: 75 victims admitted in GMC Jammu; one dies, 4 still critical

Among the dead are three CISF personnel and a J&K police special police officer (SPO). So far, 167 people have been rescued, while the number of missing has dropped to 39 after a fresh revision of the list.

Deputy SP, SDRF, Masoof Ahmad Mirza, said the search is being carried out “at war footing,” with teams now being deployed downstream after clearing large areas upstream.

The Army’s White Knight Corps said five relief columns, along with additional medical teams, are engaged in the operations. Army engineers have already constructed a Bailey bridge over the Chisoti nullah to restore connectivity to the shrine and deployed all-terrain vehicles to aid rescue work. Controlled explosions have also been carried out to clear massive boulders blocking search efforts.

The annual Machail Mata yatra, which began on 25 July and was to end on September 5, has remained suspended for six days. However, authorities confirmed that a group of devotees carrying the traditional ‘Charri’ from Jammu will be allowed to proceed and is expected to reach the 9,500-ft shrine on 21 or 22 August.

Joint teams from the Army, police, NDRF, SDRF, CISF, BRO, civil administration, and local volunteers remain on the ground as the search for missing persons continues.

With PTI inputs