J&K: Explosives used to blast giant boulders to rescue survivors in Chisoti

Explosives were used to blast giant boulders hampering the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the disaster-hit Chisoti village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on the third day on Saturday, officials said.

Army has also deployed additional troops to intensify the efforts, they said.

A total of 60 persons, including three CISF personnel and a Special Police Officer, have died and 82 people were reported missing in the cloudburst and the resultant flash floods that struck the remote village in Padder sub-division on Thursday afternoon. Around 167 people have been rescued so far, some critically injured.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited Chisoti village on Saturday morning and announced an ex-gratia assistance from the chief minister's relief fund to the affected families as a "measure of solidarity and immediate relief". He also assured them long-term support.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, also visited the devastated village late on Friday night and reviewed the ongoing rescue and relief efforts jointly carried out by the Police, Army, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Border Roads Organisation, civil administration, and local volunteers.

So far, 50 bodies have been identified and handed over to their next of kin after completion of legal formalities.

The disaster struck Chisoti -- the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple -- at around 12.25 pm on August 14. It flattened a makeshift market, a langar (community kitchen) site prepared for the yatra, and a security outpost.

At least 16 residential houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre-long bridge, and over a dozen vehicles were damaged in the flash floods which dumped giant boulders at various spots, especially around the worst-hit langar site.

Racing against time since the chances of digging out the survivors alive fade with every passing hour, the rescuers expedited the operation in the evening by using explosive substances to blast the oversized boulders that could not be shifted with earth-movers or other equipment.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, General Officer Commanding of Army's Delta Force Major General A P S Bal, and CISF Deputy Inspector General M K Yadav also visited the village, while Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar, Jammu Inspector General of Police Bhim Sen Tuti, Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma and Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police Naresh Singh are camping in the area to supervise the operation.

The annual Machail Mata yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5, remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Saturday. The 8.5-kilometre trek to the 9,500-foot-high shrine starts from Chisoti, located about 90 kilometres from Kishtwar town.

Rescue efforts were intensified with the deployment of nearly a dozen earth-movers by the civil administration and the use of specialised equipment and dog squads by the National Disaster Relief Force.

The chief minister, after taking first-hand stock of the devastation, announced that the families of those who lost their lives would receive financial support of Rs 2 lakh each, while those who sustained severe injuries would be given Rs 1 lakh and those with minor injuries Rs 50,000.

For structural damages, he announced Rs 1 lakh for fully damaged houses, Rs 50,000 for severely damaged ones, and Rs 25,000 for partially damaged structures.

The chief minister also met the bereaved families of the deceased and those affected by the tragedy. He prayed for the departed souls, and assured people that his government will extend not only immediate assistance but also long-term rehabilitation to help them rebuild their lives.

Several people in Chisoti village welcomed Abdullah's visit and expressed hope that he will personally oversee their rehabilitation.

"We feel relieved after the visit of the chief minister, who went door-to-door to meet victims' families and heard our genuine demands," said Rangeel Singh, a local resident.

Singh also expressed disappointment over the Union minister, who visited at "the dead of the night and returned without listening to us".

"We are hopeful that the chief minister will fulfil all our genuine demands, including compensation for the loss, relocation to safer places, and jobs to the next of kin of those killed in the calamity," he added.