KISHTWAR, Aug 14 — At least 60 people were killed and many others trapped after a massive cloudburst struck Chositi, a remote mountain village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said on Thursday.
Rescue teams pulled 167 people from beneath mounds of rubble, 38 of whom are in serious condition. The disaster struck Chositi, the last motorable village en route to the 9,500-feet-high Machail Mata temple, between noon and 1 p.m., when a large number of devotees had gathered for the annual yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5.
“The 8.5-kilometre trek to the shrine begins from Chositi. A langar (community kitchen) set up for the devotees bore the brunt of the cloudburst, which led to flash floods and washed away several structures, including shops and a security outpost,” officials said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, assuring all possible assistance. “The local administration is conducting relief and rescue operations. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force have rushed to the site. The Central Government is closely monitoring the situation and stands firmly with the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Following the tragedy, the annual yatra was suspended as authorities mobilised all resources for rescue operations. Union Minister Jitendra Singh tweeted, “A massive cloudburst in Chositi area could result in substantial casualties. Administration has immediately swung into action. Rescue teams have left for the site.” Two NDRF teams were rushed from Udhampur to Kishtwar.
Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma, en route to the spot, said, “Massive rescue operations have been started. Several houses clustered in the foothills were hit by flash floods.”
Lt Governor Sinha expressed condolences to the bereaved families and directed civil, police, army, NDRF, and SDRF officials to strengthen rescue and relief operations. Chief Minister Abdullah briefed Shah on the developing situation, noting that verified information from the cloudburst-hit area is slow to arrive.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma said he had received reports from local workers and expected significant damage. Former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed grief on X, urging immediate rescue and relief measures.
Officials warned that rescue, relief, and recovery operations in the mountainous terrain could take up to 20 days.
