Despite the ongoing intense rainfall, the rescue and relief operations in cloudburst-hit Chositi village, Kishtwar, entered their fifth day on Monday, with 82 people still missing under massive debris at the disaster site, officials said.
Rescue workers, donning raincoats, were seen working at multiple sites, with special focus on the impact site near the community kitchen (langar), where the majority of victims were swept away by flash floods on Thursday.
The rescue teams, including the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, and local volunteers, are working tirelessly to trace the remaining trapped victims, with the help of sniffer dogs guiding the heavy machinery, including earth movers.
The cloudburst struck the village on Thursday when hundreds of devotees were on their way to perform the annual pilgrimage to the Machail Mata temple on August 14.
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So far, according to officials, the death toll has risen to 66, as one more pilgrim lost his life on Monday at GMC Kishtwar. More than 100 people have been injured, with four in serious condition, while 50 more are reported missing after a revised list was shared by CS Atal Duloo.
“Today is the fifth day of the operation, and combined efforts are underway to recover the mortal remains of the missing persons. The weather is challenging in view of the rain. We also have a warning of heavy rains for the day, but still we are trying our best,” a CISF officer said.
Joint teams of the police, Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), CISF, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration, and local volunteers remain engaged in the operations.
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