The death toll in the Kishtwar cloudburst has climbed to 56, with 32 in serious condition and 100 more missing under the rubble, officials said on Friday. The death toll is likely to go up as hundreds of people are still missing, with rescuers working tirelessly to retrieve the dead and trace out missing people.
So far, the rescue teams have pulled out 167 people from the rubble. According to officials, the disaster struck the Chositi village on the way to the Machail Mata temple, in the afternoon, around 01:00 pm. There was a massive gathering of pilgrims reported to be present in the area when the disaster struck.
The village is around 90 km from Kishtwar town. The officials said a langar community kitchen packed with pilgrims suffered the most in the cloudburst, which triggered flash floods and washed away several people. Shortly after the disaster struck the area, the rescue operation, consisting of teams from NDRF, SDRF, police, the Army and local volunteers, was launched to intensify rescue operations.
After noticing the scale of the disaster, the Indian army was also called for the relief and rescue operation in the affected area. A Jammu-based Army PRO said, “In the aftermath of a cloudburst at the Chisoti village in Kishtwar, troops of the White Knight swiftly mobilised for relief and rescue operations.”
Over five columns of 60 personnel each, totalling 300 troops, and medical detachments of the White Knight Corps are on the ground, working with police, SDRF and other civilian agencies to save lives, the PRO added. This is developing news; more details shall follow as they emerge.
Also Read: Cloudburst in Kishtwar, 46 dead, over 200 missing
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