The once-tranquil hamlet of Chisoti in Kishtwar district has been reduced to rubble and mud, its silence now shattered by the hum of rescue teams, and the heart-wrenching cries of those left behind.
A devastating cloudburst, triggered by sudden and intense rainfall on Thursday, unleashed a massive surge of water from the surrounding hills. What was once a mountain stream turned into a ferocious wall of mud and debris, sweeping away homes, livestock, and people in seconds. Official estimates put the death toll at over 50, with many still missing. The calamity forced the immediate suspension of the Machail Mata Yatra, a pilgrimage that typically fills the region with chants and colour.
Rising Kashmir spoke to several survivors, many still in visible shock and disbelief.
“It was like the sky exploded,” said Ramesh Kumar, his voice shaking. “We heard a deafening bang. Before we could even run, a torrent of water and mud came crashing down. I saw people being swept away like wooden pieces in a raging river. We could do nothing.”
Clutching her young daughter, Meena Devi described the moment the deluge hit:“I was preparing tea when I heard shouts from outside. The water was everywhere in seconds. I grabbed my child and ran, but the force was so strong, it pushed us to the ground. Somehow, a neighbour pulled us to safety.”
Even locals accustomed to mountain rains say they have never witnessed devastation on this scale. “We’ve seen heavy rains before, but this was different,” said Vijay Kumar, part of the MachailYatra arrangements. “It was as if the mountain itself had burst open. Stopping the yatra was the only sensible decision,the routes are too dangerous now. The focus must be on saving lives.”
Rescue operations are underway with personnel from the Army, SDRF, J&K Police, and disaster response agencies working round the clock amid treacherous terrain and the looming threat of fresh rainfall.
“Every step we take is risky,” said a rescue worker, his face streaked with sweat and dust. “The soil is unstable and more landslides can happen anytime.”
Among the injured is Sheetal, a young woman who was knocked unconscious after being struck by flying debris.
“I don’t know whether it was a stone, a branch, or a wooden log that hit my forehead,” she said from a hospital bed. “I was swept across by waves of muddy water. I saw people around me being carried away. Then everything went black.”
What remains of Chisoti is a landscape of broken homes and shattered lives. For those who survived, the fear now extends beyond what was lost, to what may come next.
“We live in the mountains, we respect nature,” said Ramesh, staring at the murky waters still flowing past the ruins of his village. “But that day, nature was angry, and we were helpless before it.”