Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday arrived in the cloudburst-hit Chositi village of Kishtwar district to assess the damage and oversee the ongoing rescue operations in the region.
The flash floods, triggered by the cloudburst, have killed 60 people and left more than 100 injured since Thursday. A joint rescue and relief operation is underway in the village, where 75 people have been reported missing by their families.
Locals and eyewitnesses fear that hundreds may have been washed away in the floods and buried under giant boulders and uprooted trees.
Also Read: Kishtwar cloudburst toll mounts to 60, PM assures all help
The CM arrived in Kishtwar on Friday evening and travelled by road to Chositi early Saturday. He is accompanied by his political advisor Nasir Aslam Wani. A senior military officer briefed Omar about the ongoing relief and rescue operations.
The Chief Minister was also provided with a virtual reality headset to understand the extent of the destruction caused by the flash floods.
The tragedy struck around 1 pm on Thursday, when pilgrims gathered at a community kitchen were washed away by the massive flash flood. The cloudburst flattened a makeshift market, the community kitchen site for the pilgrimage, and a security outpost.
As many as 16 houses, several government premises, including three temples, a 30-metre bridge, and over a dozen vehicles were also damaged in the flood.
The annual Machail Mata Yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5, remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Saturday.
Follow us
