Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the flood-ravaged Chasoti village in Kishtwar district on Saturday to assess the catastrophic damage caused by a cloudburst-triggered flash flood that claimed at least 60 lives and injured over 100. The disaster, which struck on August 14, has left the remote village reeling, with 75 people reported missing and locals fearing hundreds may be buried under debris.
Abdullah, accompanied by political advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, arrived in Kishtwar on Friday evening and traveled by road to Chasoti early Saturday. A senior army officer briefed him on the ongoing rescue efforts, and he used a virtual reality headset to grasp the full extent of the destruction. “The situation is heartbreaking,” Abdullah said, vowing immediate relief for affected families.
The cloudburst, occurring around 12:25 PM on August 14, devastated Chasoti, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple. It obliterated a makeshift market, a community kitchen for pilgrims, a security outpost, 16 houses, three temples, four water mills, a 30-meter bridge, and over a dozen vehicles. The annual Machail Mata Yatra, a pilgrimage from July 25 to September 5, remains suspended for the third consecutive day, disrupting the 8.5-kilometer trek to the 9,500-foot-high shrine.
Rescue operations are in full swing, with the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and district administration working tirelessly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after speaking with Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, assured full central support, with helicopters on standby for evacuations.
Local resident Sunita Devi shared her grief: “Our homes and livelihoods are gone. We need help urgently.” Abdullah, addressing affected families, promised swift aid and raised questions about administrative preparedness, noting prior weather warnings.
The tragedy underscores Jammu and Kashmir’s vulnerability to natural disasters, with calls for better forecasting and infrastructure resilience growing louder.