J-K CM Omar Abdullah meets flash-flood affected families in Kishtwar

Kishtwar, August 16: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday met with the families affected by the flash flood due to a cloud burst in Chasoti village of Kishtwar district.

CM Abdullah also reviewed the ongoing relief and rescue operations and received a detailed briefing from Army personnel. He used a Virtual Reality (VR) headset to review the destruction and said immediate relief measures would be taken to support affected families.

The Indian Army, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police and district administration, is carrying out rescue operations in the village.

The cloudburst, which occurred along the Machail Mata Yatra route, triggered flash floods and widespread destruction on Thursday, killing at least 60 people.

On Friday, Abdullah confirmed the deaths and said that the number of missing people was still being verified.

“Around 60 bodies have been found. The number of missing persons is being assessed. After the rescue and relief operation concludes, we will inquire whether the Administration could have taken any preventive steps when the Met Department had issued a warning and also advised people not to venture out if not needed. The rescue operation by the Army, NDRF, SDRF, Police, and Administration is underway. Workers of different political parties are also working on the ground,” Omar Abdullah told reporters.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh also visited Chesoti late on Friday evening to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, as per sources, the Indian Air Force has been put on standby to support the operations. Two Mi-17 helicopters and one Advanced Light Helicopter have been kept ready at Jammu and Udhampur for deployment if needed.

Earlier, in his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with those affected by natural disasters across the country.