Jammu and Kashmir’s Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Friday visited Jammu District Hospital to meet the victims of the Kishtwar cloudburst.
He called for restraint when discussing the number of fatalities after the recent tragedy, emphasising that sorrow should not be measured solely in numbers.
Choudhary, speaking to reporters after the visit, said, “It is better if we do not discuss the number of deaths. Speaking about the injured, 49 are in the ward and two are in the ICU.”
He added, “Whether one or 50 have left us, it is a sorrow, and I believe it’s not right to quantify that sorrow. I pray to Maa Machail that the people who are missing are safe and come back to their homes.”
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Shagun Parihar visited the District Hospital to check on the victims of Kishtwar cloudburst.
She noted that the rescue operations are in full swing, with NDRF and SDRF teams present at the site, rescuing people from the affected areas.
Talking to ANI, Parihar said, “A very tragic accident has occurred. Yesterday, we tried to rescue people trapped in the debris. The NDRF and SDRF teams were present there. We are trying to evacuate as many people as possible from there and send them to the hospital.”
The Air Force is set to take part in relief and rescue operations for victims of the calamity in Kishtwar, sources said.
At present, two Mi-17 helicopters and one Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) are on standby in Jammu and Udhampur. Operations will commence as soon as the weather becomes favourable.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is also set to leave for Kishtwar on Friday to assess the damage caused by a massive cloudburst and oversee the ongoing rescue operations. Abdullah noted that he aims to review the relief efforts first-hand and determine what further assistance will be needed for those affected.
CM Omar Abdullah announced his impending visit through X, stating that he will leave for Kishtwar on Friday and visit the area hit by the cloudburst on Saturday.
CM Abdullah posted on his X about the visit, saying, “I’ll be leaving for Kishtwar later this afternoon & will be going to the scene of the cloud burst tragedy early tomorrow morning to see, first hand, the extent of the damage. I will review the rescue operation & assess what further help is required.”
Earlier in the day, CM Abdullah briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the massive cloudburst following a flash flood, leading to the loss of over 45 lives and the rescue operation underway thereafter.
PM Modi posted on X about the call and wrote, “Spoke to Jammu and Kashmir LG, Shri Manoj Sinha Ji and CM Shri Omar Abdullah Ji regarding the situation in the wake of the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected.”
CM Omar Abdullah also posted on his X about the call he had with PM: “I just received a call from Hon PM Modi. I briefed him about the situation in Kishtwar & the steps being taken by the administration. My government & the people hit by this tragic cloudburst are grateful for his support & all the assistance provided by the Union Government.”
A massive cloudburst on Thursday triggered a flash flood in the Chashoti area of Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, along the route of the Machail Mata Yatra, which led to the loss of over 45 lives. Rescue operations are in full swing in the area, and the victims of the tragedy are being treated in District Hospitals. (ANI)
