A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has arrived in cloudburst-hit Chositi village of the Kishtwar district, officials said.
Reports suggest at least 56 people, mostly pilgrims, have lost their lives after deadly flash floods swept away a community kitchen, which was filled with Yatris when the disaster struck the place. Shortly after, a massive search and rescue operation was initiated by the Jammu and Kashmir government, which has now entered day 2, as more than 100 people are said to be missing.
Initially, the death toll stood at 12; a few hours later, it climbed to 37 on Thursday evening, and on Friday, the death toll climbed further to 56. Officials have said that a lot of people are still untraced, which means the death toll could go up in the coming days.
DC Kishtwar Pankaj Sharma informed reporters on Friday that “The NDRF team is joining the operation currently underway in the village. They reached Gulabgarh late in the night.”
Also Read: Kishtwar cloudburst: Omar cancels cultural events on I-Day
He said two more NDRF teams will be joining the operation, as the destruction caused by the cloudburst is massive and spread across a vast area. The Indian army has also inducted one more column to intensify the search for missing people, an official said. Rashtriya Rifles troops have joined the operation.
Over five columns of 60 personnel each, totalling 300 troops, along with medical detachments of the White Knight Corps, are on the ground, working tirelessly in coordination with the police, SDRF, and other civilian agencies to save lives and assist those in need, they added.
Along with the NDRF, the Army, the SDRF, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Civil bodies, and local volunteers have joined the rescue operations in the area.
Also Read: Kishtwar cloudburst: Death toll rises to 56
Follow us
