Srinagar, Aug15: A day after a devastating cloudburst tore through the remote Chasoti area of Kishtwar district during the annual Machail Mata Yatra, the grim search for victims continued on Friday, with 13 more bodies recovered from under tonnes of mud and debris,pushing the death toll to 51.
Authorities fear the toll may rise further, as 86 people remain missing, many believed to have been swept away by the sudden flash floods that followed the intense downpour.
The disaster struck on Thursday afternoon, between noon and 1 p.m., when a violent burst of rain triggered a wall of muddy water and debris that smashed through the langar (community kitchen) set up for pilgrims, flattening everything in its path. At least 38 bodies were recovered on the first day alone.
“Rescue teams have so far recovered 51 bodies, 13 of them today. We still have 86 people missing and 120 injured undergoing treatment in hospitals,” an official from the Kishtwar district administration told Rising Kashmir.
Chasoti — located about 90 km from Kishtwar town — serves as the base for the 8.5-km trek to the 9,500-ft-high Machail Mata shrine. The area was packed with devotees when the cloudburst hit. The pilgrimage, which began on July 25 and was to continue till September 5, has now been suspended indefinitely.
The langar, where dozens were gathered for food, bore the brunt of the deluge.
“It came like a wall of water,” a local volunteer recalled. “Houses collapsed like paper, vehicles were tossed around, and people were swept away before they could even scream.”
The flash floods buried 16 residential houses and several government buildings, damaged three temples and four water mills, flattened a 30-metre bridge, and destroyed over a dozen vehicles. A security camp and several shops were also swept away. Miraculously, a temple within the flood zone remained intact.
Over 300 personnel from the Army’s White Knight Corps are working alongside the police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and civilian agencies.
“Five Army columns, each with 60 soldiers, are engaged in rescue and retrieval. On-site medical teams are treating the injured,” said the Defence PRO in Jammu.
Helicopters remained grounded due to poor visibility and rain. Air sorties will begin once weather permits.
Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Sharma and SSP Naresh Singh are stationed at the site to supervise operations.
“The work is painstaking. We’re moving huge boulders, uprooted trees, and tangled power lines to locate potential survivors,” said an official on-site.
The first NDRF team reached the site from Udhampur late Thursday night; two more teams are en route. The Army’s Rashtriya Rifles has also been deployed to expedite operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, assuring full support from the Centre.
“Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected,” he posted on X
Volunteer organisations, including Ababeel (which brought nine ambulances) and Hilal Volunteers, have been transporting the injured and helping retrieve bodies.
“The mud is waist-deep in places, terrain is slippery, and it’s raining intermittently. But we can’t stop,” said an Ababeel member.
Of the 120 injured, many with fractures, head injuries and hypothermia, 38 are in serious condition. They are being treated at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, the district hospital in Kishtwar, and the block hospital in Paddar.
Critical health infrastructure has been reinforced: 13 additional doctors and 31 paramedics have been deployed to a sub-district hospital near the disaster site. GMC-Doda has readied specialist teams for referrals, while GMC-Jammu has earmarked 50 disaster beds, 20 ventilator beds, and five operating theatres. “We have specialist orthopaedic, neurosurgery, anaesthesia and maxillofacial teams on standby, and over 200 units of blood in the bank,” a health official said.
The Health Department has also mobilised 65 ambulances from various agencies including NHPC, Army, CRPF and the state’s 108 Emergency Service for patient evacuation.
The administration has set up a control room-cum-help desk in Paddar, about 15 km from Chasothi, to assist families of the missing. Six helpline numbers have been issued: 9858223125, 6006701934, 9797504078, 8492886895, 8493801381, and 7006463710.
“Since yesterday, we have been receiving distress calls and messages with photographs of missing relatives,” said an official at the help desk. Pictures of the recovered bodies are being shared through WhatsApp to help in identification.
Authorities are also worried about hundreds stranded in Machail and Hamori villages, beyond the disaster zone. With power lines down, their phones are dead, and there has been no contact since Thursday.
Officials and survivors alike described scenes of panic and helplessness. “The water came with such force that it uprooted everything,” said a rescue worker. “We found a vehicle half-buried in the mud, with its doors twisted off.”
A woman from a neighbouring hamlet, searching for her brother, said: “We are going from one body to another, hoping and dreading at the same time.”
Union Minister Jitendra Singh also visited the area to take stock of relief measures.
Addressing the Independence Day function in Srinagar.
