Kishtwar Cloudburst: At least 60 people were killed and more than 100 have been injured in a cloudburst that struck the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir,
according to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. A massive flash flood triggered by a cloudburst struck the remote mountain village, Chisoti, in Kishtwar on Thursday, The authorities have identified 21 bodies. To identify the deceased, the authorities shared victims' pictures through a WhatsApp group with the affected families, resulting in the identification of 21 bodies. Over 160 people have been rescued so far, and the condition of 38 among them is said to be serious, they said. The officials believe that the death toll could go up as more people are believed to be trapped and rescue operations are underway to evacuate them. Further, there are two villages ahead of the cloudburst-hit belt - Machail and Hamori - where hundreds of people are stranded.
NDRF Team Joins Rescue Effort
A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Friday reached cloudburst-hit Chisoti village to aid rescue effort. Two more teams are on their way and will be joining the operation as the destruction is wide and vast.
"The NDRF team is joining the operation currently underway in the village. They reached Gulabgarh late in the night," Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Sharma told PTI.
Sharma, who is supervising the operation, said choppers could not be operated due to bad weather so the team came by road from Udhampur.
Control Room, Help Desk, Helpline Numbers Set Up
The Jammu and Kashmir administration set up a control room-cum-help desk in Paddar, about 15 km from Chositi village, to assist people and pilgrims following flash floods.
Five officials have been put on duty for the control room. The numbers provided are: 9858223125, 6006701934, 9797504078, 8492886895, 8493801381, and 7006463710.
Since the tragedy struck, the help desk has received scores of distress calls, the official said, adding that the authorities are trying to trace people reported missing by families at the help desk.
Survivors Share Horrific Account
Survivors of the Kishtwar cloudburst recounted harrowing tales of escape and loss. After being rescued, Putul said"...The entire mountain collapsed, and we couldn't understand what happened... Chaos broke out everywhere. I was not buried because I was standing on the rock... I can't find many of my family members. I am still trying to locate them."
A survivor named Rakesh Sharma told ANI, "We ate prasad at langar. We were just about to cross the street when a sudden noise occurred... We saw debris falling down. When everyone started shouting 'Bhaago Bhaago,' we tried to run... As I tried to save my child, debris pressed against me, causing me to fall and become buried... We were saved because a large piece of wood fell on us... At least 60-70 people might still be buried... Kishtwar people are very kind; they helped me with clothes and food..."
