Rescue operations entered their fifth day on Monday in Chisoti, a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, where a devastating cloudburst on August 14 claimed 61 lives, including three Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel and one Special Police Officer. Over 100 others were injured, and approximately 50 people remain missing, according to a revised list.

Despite relentless heavy rains and challenging terrain, joint teams comprising the Army, police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), CISF, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration, and local volunteers are tirelessly sifting through debris. The primary focus is the area near a langar (community kitchen) site, a major impact zone. Rescuers, equipped with raincoats, are using over a dozen earth-movers, sniffer dogs, and other heavy machinery to search for survivors and recover remains.

The cloudburst triggered flash floods that obliterated a makeshift market, the langar site for the annual Machail Mata Yatra, 16 residential and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre bridge, and over a dozen vehicles. A CISF officer noted, “Today is the fifth day of the operation, and combined efforts are underway to recover the mortal remains of the missing persons. The weather is challenging in view of the rain, but we are trying our best.”

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To aid the operation, Army engineers constructed a Bailey bridge over the Chisoti nullah on Sunday, restoring critical connectivity to the village and the Machail Mata shrine. All-terrain vehicles have also been deployed to access debris-laden areas. Over the past two days, rescuers conducted controlled explosions to clear massive boulders obstructing the search.

The Machail Mata Yatra, a pilgrimage drawing thousands to the 9,500-foot-high shrine, remains suspended for the fifth consecutive day. The 8.5-km trek from Chisoti, located 90 km from Kishtwar town, has been halted as rescue efforts take precedence.

With heavy rain warnings persisting, hope for finding survivors is fading, but the multi-agency operation continues unabated. Relief camps have been established, and medical support is being provided to the injured at local hospitals.

Also Read: Kishtwar Cloudburst: 21 Victims Identified Amid Ongoing Rescue