Kishtwar Cloudburst: NDRF and Army Race Against Time to Save Lives
NDRF and Army lead rescue ops after cloudburst kills 46 in J&K’s Kishtwar.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team reached Chisoti village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district to bolster ongoing search and rescue operations following a devastating cloudburst that killed at least 46 people and left 167 others rescued, officials reported. The disaster, which struck the remote village, has left 38 of the rescued in serious condition, with fears that the death toll may rise further as rescue efforts continue.
Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Sharma, overseeing the operation, confirmed that the NDRF team arrived in Gulabgarh late Thursday night after bad weather prevented helicopter operations, forcing them to travel by road from Udhampur. “The NDRF team is joining the operation currently underway in the village,” Sharma told PTI, noting that two additional NDRF teams are en route to address the widespread destruction.
The Indian Army has intensified its efforts, deploying an additional column from the Rashtriya Rifles to join five existing columns, totaling over 300 troops from the White Knight Corps. These forces, supported by medical detachments, are working in close coordination with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, and civilian agencies to save lives and provide aid. Volunteer groups, including Ababeel with nine ambulances and Hilal Volunteers, have also joined the effort, assisting in retrieving bodies and transporting the injured to hospitals in Atholi and Kishtwar.
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As rescue operations continue amidst challenging conditions, the collective efforts of the NDRF, Army, and volunteers underscore a determined response to mitigate the tragedy and support the affected community in Chisoti village.
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