Jammu and Kashmir’s Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Friday visited Jammu District Hospital to meet the victims of the Kishtwar cloudburst. He also called for restraint when discussing the number of fatalities after the recent tragedy — noting that sorrow cannot be measured in numbers. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah departed for Kishtwar on Friday afternoon to assess the damage and review the ongoing relief efforts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to the Jammu and Kashmir CM and extended support for the ongoing operations.
“It is better if we do not discuss the number of deaths. Speaking about the injured, 49 are in the ward and 2 are in the ICU… Whether one or 50 have left us, it is a sorrow, and I believe it’s not right to quantify that sorrow. I pray to Maa Machail that the people who are missing are safe and come back to their homes,” said Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary.
According to an update shared by PTI, at least 60 people were killed in the cloudburst while more than 100 suffered injuries. Officials said they had so far identified 30 of the bodies that were retrieved. The rescue-and-relief operation was suspended late on Thursday night but resumed with the first light of the day despite rains. The teams — comprising o police, Army, NDRF, SDRF personnel and local volunteers — are sifting through the rubble to find the survivors. Officials said they had retrieved more bodies but added that there were likely no survivors as the chances of finding anyone alive diminished with each passing hour.
Top officials head to incident site
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah departed for Kishtwar on Friday afternoon to assess the damage caused by the devastating cloudburst. The top official announced via X that he would review the relief efforts first-hand and determine the further assistance needed by affected individuals. Union Minister Jitendra Singh also shared via X that he was enroute to the cloud burst site in Chositi after facing several delays due to inclement weather.
“Enroute to the cloud burst site in Chositi, I had left from Jammu by an Indian Air Force helicopter, but the chopper returned back after flying for one hour without finding it feasible to land. Immediately thereafter, I’ve left by road to reach the affected site as early as possible…though it is a long hilly difficult terrain, and the weather is also inclement” he wrote.
What happened on Thursday?
Disaster struck Chisoti — the last motorable village on the way to the Machail Mata temple — around 12:25 pm on Thursday, leaving a trail of death and destruction. Rescuers pulled out 46 bodies, including that of two CISF personnel, on Thursday. In addition, 167 people have been rescued in an injured condition, while 69 others were reported missing by their relatives.
(With inputs from agencies)