In a tragic turn of events, a catastrophic cloudburst struck Chisoti village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, claiming 60 lives and injuring over 100 others. The disaster, which occurred at approximately 12:25 pm on August 14, 2025, has prompted a massive, coordinated rescue and relief operation now in its third day, involving the police, army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration, and local volunteers.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, alongside Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, visited the remote, high-altitude village late Friday night to oversee the ongoing efforts. The disaster flattened a makeshift market, a community kitchen for the Machail Mata yatra, a security outpost, 16 residential houses, government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-meter bridge, and over a dozen vehicles. Among the deceased were two Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel and a Special Police Officer (SPO).
Of the 60 fatalities, 46 bodies have been identified and handed over to families after legal formalities. Meanwhile, 75 individuals remain missing, with locals and eyewitnesses fearing that hundreds may be buried under boulders, logs, and rubble swept away by flash floods. The annual Machail Mata yatra, a pilgrimage to a 9,500-foot-high shrine starting from Chisoti, has been suspended since the disaster, disrupting the trek that began on July 25 and was set to conclude on September 5.
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Rescue operations have been bolstered by nearly a dozen earth-movers and specialized NDRF equipment, including dog squads, to navigate the challenging terrain. "After a long, tedious uphill drive, managed to reach the site of the cloudburst disaster in Kishtwar… very late, around midnight," Union Minister Singh posted on social media, highlighting the dedication of the rescue teams.
As the community grapples with this unprecedented tragedy, authorities continue their relentless efforts to locate the missing and provide relief to the affected families in this remote region of Jammu and Kashmir.
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