Kishtwar cloudburst: Heartbreak for kin as rescuers look for survivors

• Over 60 people, mostly pilgrims, died after a cloudburst triggered flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district

• Entire sections of Padder subdivision, including a temple, homes, bridges and a market, were destroyed; dozens remain missing

• Rescue operations involve police, army, NDRF, SDRF, and volunteers, with efforts hampered by rain and debris

The village of Chashoti in Padder subdivision of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district has been plunged into mourning after Thursday afternoon’s catastrophic flash floods, triggered by a sudden cloudburst, claimed more than 60 lives — the majority of them pilgrims — and left an unknown number missing.

Among the victims feared dead are at least 13 local residents, including two temple priests. The deluge swept massive boulders, tree trunks and thick layers of silt into the settlement, turning the once-idyllic mountain village into a wasteland of rubble and wreckage.

Nirmala Devi, still in shock, recounted losing her father Bodh Raj and uncle Dinanath, both of whom were performing priestly duties at the local temple. “He had asked me to apply tilak on my forehead but I had refused and left before the tragedy struck,” she said, breaking down. She recalled seeing her father seated among about 20 devotees, offering blessings. “Had I stayed for tea or lunch, I would have gone with them,” she said, her voice shaking. “I should have had the tilak from his hands at least one last time.”

The torrent destroyed over 10 homes, six government buildings, two other temples, four water mills, a 30-metre bridge and more than a dozen vehicles. Nirmala described hearing “a big bang” and initially mistaking it for an earthquake. When she rushed upstairs, the scene that met her eyes was “frightening” — the temple and surrounding structures crumbling under the force of the flood.

Chashoti, the last motorable village before the Machail Mata temple, was busy with activity when disaster struck. Hundreds of devotees, many from Jammu, Udhampur and Reasi, were gathered at a langar (community kitchen) beside a makeshift market. The flash floods hit without warning, sweeping away people, stalls and even a security outpost.

The annual Machail Mata yatra, which began on 25 July, had already drawn more than two lakh pilgrims to the 9,500 ft-high shrine, an 8.5 km trek from the village. The pilgrimage, due to end on 5 September, remained suspended for a second day on Friday. Officials confirmed that 167 injured have been rescued, while 69 people have been reported missing by relatives. Many more are feared trapped in the debris.

Rescue operations, involving the police, army, NDRF, SDRF and local volunteers, resumed at first light on Friday despite persistent rain. Videos from the site show a torrent of mud and rubble sweeping down steep slopes, crushing buildings, blocking roads and erasing paths — the lush green landscape now replaced by a bleak expanse of brown and grey.

Bilu Kumar, whose home was destroyed, said the bodies of 10 local victims had been recovered while three remained missing. J-K Police head constable Ramesh Chander, posted as a guard at the langar site, described the moment the cloudburst struck: “The earth beneath my feet started shaking… I saw people who could not run on time getting buried or swept away. The scene was horrific.”

Local BJP MLA and leader of opposition Sunil Sharma, who reached the site on Thursday, estimated that several hundred people may still be under the rubble. He said Union home minister Amit Shah had assured him of additional rescue teams once weather conditions improved, alongside a relief package for affected families and the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.

Around 15,000 people were at the shrine the day before the cloudburst. Of these, about 4,000 have already departed, with the rest being evacuated. The army is constructing a Bailey bridge to enable the movement of stranded pilgrims, while police and security forces have improvised a log bridge to help those returning from the shrine.

Monika Devi from Satwari in Jammu expressed gratitude to the rescuers. She described seeing a security jawan directing people to safety before being “swept away before our eyes”. Two CISF personnel are among the confirmed dead.

Banu Pratap Singh, a Katra resident who has served pilgrims for over a decade, said: “Such an incident has never happened before. The administration and the rescuers are doing a very good job and hopefully, the yatra will start soon. People are advised not to panic.”

With PTI inputs