Over 50 feared dead, 100 injured

Jammu, Aug 14: In a catastrophe of gigantic scale, over 50 persons, the majority of them pilgrims, died while over 100 were injured and more than 150 were reported to be missing when a massive cloudburst struck a part of Chisoti village in Padder area of Kishtwar district, triggering flash-floods, leaving behind trails of enormous destruction on Thursday.

The tragedy has sent a wave of shock and grief across the country, already reeling under the aftereffects of similar disasters in several other hilly states in the past few days.

As per reports, 10 houses, four temples, four government buildings, and a bridge were also swept away by strong currents of water and deluge, besides an unidentified number of vehicles.

Of the injured, 22 critically wounded were shifted to Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, while 75 injured were admitted at District Hospital Kishtwar, and 20 others were under treatment at Public Health Centre Atholi.

A few affected were also under treatment at Sub District Hospital, Padder.

Given the scale of the disaster, the Director Health Services Jammu cancelled the leave applications of all department officials in Kishtwar district with immediate effect.

Chisoti, a mountain village along a hilly brook, falls enroute Shri Machail Mata pilgrimage, which commenced on July 25, 2025, and was presently underway.

It is around 90 km from Kishtwar town.

The main affected area of the village was located along Chisoti brook.

As soon as the calamity struck the village, the entire administrative machinery, in perfect synergy with the Police, SDRF, NDRF, Army, and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), along with the locals from Chisoti village and other adjoining areas, as first responders, swung into action.

However, the inclement weather continued to disrupt relief and rescue operations.

Though the official count of the exact number of deceased was not released so far, Kishtwar hospital authorities said the number was above 50, including two Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) soldiers.

Press Trust of India and some local news gathering agencies, relying on the details provided by the officials engaged in the relief and rescue operation, quoted the number of bodies recovered as at least 46. 167 persons were pulled out of mounds of rubble after frantic efforts, the agencies reported.

Officials engaged in the relief and rescue operation said that Chisoti is the last motorable point enroute Shri Machail Mata temple in Padder.

If the accounts of eyewitnesses, present at ground zero, sharing details through different media portals, are to be taken into account, the specter was simply horrendous, to say the least.

Gushing waters consuming everything coming their way, brought along massive slides and deluge to complete the devastation.

Left behind were wails, trails of destruction, and agony everywhere.

Police officials said that the major centre of the disaster, which could have claimed maximum casualties, was a community kitchen where around 200 or so pilgrims were having lunch while others had taken shelter to escape torrential rains, when the sudden flash floods, in Chisoti stream, triggered by a cloud burst struck on Thursday afternoon.

An adjoining CISF picket and vehicles parked nearby too perished in the gushing waters in a jiffy.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kishtwar, Pankaj Kumar Sharma, in the evening, while responding to queries of some media persons, said that around 38 people had died in the disaster and apprehended that the number could go up as more bodies were being recovered.

The DC said that over 100 people were injured in the incident.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti, apprehending a rise in the number of casualties, said that the maximum victims were pilgrims.

Following the tragedy, the ongoing Machail Yatra was suspended, and pilgrims were halted at different locations.

Following the incident, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha directed civil administration, Police, Army, NDRF, and SDRF officials to strengthen the rescue and relief operations and ensure all possible assistance was provided to the affected.

Medical Superintendent District Hospital Kishtwar said that 18 critically injured pilgrims of Machail Matra Yatra, who were initially brought to District Hospital Kishtwar, were later shifted to GMCH Jammu through ambulances by road.

He said all the injured were referred to GMCH Jammu for specialised treatment.

For shifting the dead and injured, the authorities also summoned ambulances from Srinagar, Banihal, Ramban, Batote, Doda, and other districts of the region.

Besides, the additional medical teams, rescue teams of the Army, SDRF, NDRF, Police, and local volunteers were requisitioned, and teams were heading to the cloudburst-affected areas.

Officials said that amid bad weather conditions in Chisoti, senior officers, including IGP Jammu and DIG Doda Kishtwar Range, were monitoring the search operation for tracing the missing, who were swept away by mudslides following the cloudburst.

“Special teams of Police, Army, SDRF, and district administration, along with senior officers, were on the ground. Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Sharma and SSP Kishtwar Naresh Singh are leading the rescue and search operations,” they said.

In the wake of persisting inclement weather conditions, it had become extremely difficult for rescue teams to retrieve the people stuck in the debris in Chisoti brook and its downstream.

“However, all the teams, administrative machinery are engaged in unrelenting rescue operations to save every life wherever they can,” officials said.

(With inputs from M M Parvaiz)