The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday confirmed that at least 21 bodies of the 56 people killed in the Kishtwar cloudburst have been identified, an official said on Friday.
A massive flash flood triggered by the cloudburst in the remote Chositi village in Kishtwar on Thursday left 56 people, including two CISF personnel, dead. They said the authorities shared pictures of the 56 victims on WhatsApp with the families, which resulted in the identification of 21 out of the 56 bodies.
Additionally, 167 people have been rescued so far, and the condition of 38 people is said to be serious. The death toll is likely to surge further as more people are believed to be trapped under the rubble. An official informed reporters that “We have shared pictures of the bodies with them so that they can be identified,” he said, adding that people are calling to find out the whereabouts of their family members following the cloudburst.
The administration on Thursday set up an emergency control room cum help desk in paddar area, which is 15 km away from where the tragedy had struck. Five officials have been put on duty for the control room. The numbers provided are 9858223125, 6006701934, 9797504078, 8492886895, 8493801381, and 7006463710.
Also Read: Kishtwar cloudburst: Death toll rises to 56
After the emergency contact numbers were shared, the authorities reported receiving hundreds of distress calls; there are reportedly 67 people missing according to calls received by the help desk in less than 24 hours. There are two villages ahead of the cloudburst-hit belt — Machail and Hamori — where hundreds of people are stranded, the officials said, adding that their mobile phone batteries have been exhausted due to the snapping of the power supply to the belt following the disaster.
Also Read: NDRF teams reach Kishtwar to aid ongoing rescue operations
Once they come in contact, authorities will get to know the exact whereabouts of the people, they said. Fresh search operations will also dig out more victims from the debris and mud in the area, the officials said. Meanwhile, the villagers said they had seen 10 bodies floating in the Chenab river and efforts to retrieve them are also underway.
Also Read: Cloudburst in Kishtwar, 46 dead, over 200 missing
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