A day earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that it might be impossible to find anyone alive in the Kishtwar incident
On Aug 5, 2019, Centre abrogated Article 370 and 35A, ending J&K's special status
Body of a woman was recovered in this cloudburst-hit village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, taking the death toll to 64, officials said, as the extensive rescue and relief operation entered the sixth day on Tuesday. The decomposed body was sighted downstream and subsequently recovered by the rescuers this morning amid intensified search operation with the improvement in the weather, the officials said. Sniffer dogs also helped recover a lower body part of another victim under the debris of a collapsed house but the officials said it is believed to be that of a person whose body was recovered on the first day of the tragedy. The rescue teams are working at multiple locations, especially the major impact spot near a langar (community kitchen) site, sifting through the rubble using heavy machinery, including earth movers and sniffer dogs. With the recovery of one more body, the death toll in the flash floods triggered by the cloudburst in Chisoti, the last motorable village
Five relief columns of the White Knight Corps carried out rescue and relief operations in flood-hit Chasoti area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district
The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was shut for traffic early Monday after heavy rains triggered multiple landslides and shooting stones from hillocks overlooking the arterial road in Ramban district, officials said. Traffic is plying normally on inter-regional roads -- Mughal and Sinthan roads -- and commuters are advised to follow lane discipline as overtaking will cause congestion, they said. "Jammu-Srinagar highway is closed due to shooting stones at several places. Heavy rains are going on along the highway. All types of vehicular movement have been stopped," an advisory of the J-K Traffic Police Department said. It further said commuters are advised not to travel until the weather improves and the road is cleared. Heavy rains have triggered landslides on the national highway near Sharda Mata temple in Udhampur district besides Monkey Morh and the Maroog area of Ramban district. Men and machines are working to clear the highway of blockades and make it trafficable, they sai
Braving heavy rains and difficult terrain, rescuers pressed on with the large-scale search operation to trace those buried under debris in this cloudburst-hit remote village of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar on the fifth day on Monday, officials said. Donning rain coats, the rescue teams were seen working at multiple locations, especially the major impact spot near a langar (community kitchen) site, despite the downpour, sifting through the rubble using heavy machinery, including earth movers and sniffer dogs. Cloudburst struck Chisoti, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple, on August 14, killing 61 people, including three CISF personnel and one Special Police Officer, and leaving over 100 others injured. The number of missing people has been reported as around 50 after a fresh revision of the list. The flash-floods triggered by the cloudburst left a trail of destruction, flattening a makeshift market, a langar site for the annual Machail Mata yatra, damaging
In the aftermath of a massive cloudburst in Kishtwar district, a total of 75 patients were admitted in the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital here and one of them succumbed to injuries during treatment, while the condition of four others continues to be "critical". In addition, 11 bodies of the victims and one body part were also brought to the hospital mortuary from the cloudburst-hit Chisoti village and they were subsequently handed over to their next of kin after completion of medical formalities, official data released by the hospital said on Sunday. The cloudburst struck Chisoti, the last motorable village en route the Machail Mata temple, on August 14, leaving 61 persons mostly devotees dead, over 100 injured and 50 others missing. According to the data, the GMC operated 24 of the 75 patients and one of them, Ashok Kumar (35) of Vijaypur area of Samba district, died on August 16. Among the 47 patients still admitted in the hospital, four are in critical condition, th
A cloudburst in Kathua on Sunday triggered flash floods and landslides, prompting intensified rescue operations to retrieve stranded vehicles
A cloudburst cut off a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district amid heavy overnight rains, officials said on Sunday. There was no immediate report of any casualty. The officials said the cloudburst hit Jod Ghati in Rajbagh area of the district during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, snapping access to the village and causing some damage to land and property. A joint team of police and SDRF have been rushed to the village and further details are awaited, they said. They said landslides also hit Bagard and Changda villages under the jurisdiction of Kathua police station and Dilwan-Hutli in Lakhanpur police station area but there was no major report of damage. The heavy rains have led to sharp increase in the level in most of the water bodies with the Ujh river flowing near the danger mark, the officials said. The district administration is closely watching the situation and have requested people to stay away from water bodies for their safety, the offici
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday expressed concern over the recent natural calamities in the Union Territory, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and called for consultation with experts to see what can be done to "mitigate the risks and dangers". Talking to reporters near Chasoti on his return to this cloudburst-hit remote village in Kishtwar district, he said the entire Himalayan belt is now more prone to glacial lake bursts and cloudbursts. He was responding to a question about possibility of forming a team of experts by his government to safeguard the fragile ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. We are going to have a look at it. It is not just what is happening in J-K. Look at the scary videos that we saw from Uttarakhand. What is happening in Himachal? We are all now, I think, prone to these glacial lake bursts and cloudbursts. To this freak vague weather, we will have to collectively and individually consult experts to see what we can do to mitigate the risk
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday took stock of the rescue and relief operations in the cloudburst-hit Kishtwar district and said he will ensure reconstruction of homes damaged in flash floods. Sinha directed senior officials to ensure uninterrupted supply of essentials to the affected people. The LG said he will ensure the reconstruction of homes damaged in flash floods at Chasoti village in Kishtwar. "Spoke to Senior Officials and took stock of the rescue and relief operations at Chasoti, Kishtwar. I will ensure the reconstruction of homes damaged in flash floods," the LG said in a post on X. Tragedy struck Chasoti -- the last motorable village enroute to the Machail Mata temple -- around 12:25 pm on August 14 that left 60 people dead and over 100 injured. It flattened a makeshift market, a community kitchen site for the pilgrimage, and a security outpost. At least 16 houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-meter-long ..
The announcement came after CM Omar Abdullah visited the cloudburst-affected areas of Kishtwar today and met affected families
A coordinated rescue and relief operation continued for the third consecutive day on Saturday in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, where 60 people lost their lives and over 100 others were injured, officials said. Union Minister Jitendra Singh, accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, visited the devastated village late Friday night and reviewed ongoing rescue and relief efforts carried out by the police, army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration, and local volunteers operating in the high-altitude terrain. So far, 46 bodies have been identified and handed over to their next of kin after completion of legal formalities. Meanwhile, 75 persons have been reported missing by their families, although locals and eyewitnesses claim that hundreds may have been swept away by flash floods and buried under giant boulders, logs, and ...
At least 20 families, comprising 90 members, were evacuated after their houses developed cracks in a remote village in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said. The cracks in the houses were caused by land sinking in a nearly two square kilometre area in hilltop Panjnara village in Kotranka sub-division following heavy rains, the officials said. Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kotranka, Dil Mir confirmed the shifting of the affected families to a government accommodation at a safer place to prevent loss of lives. "The houses have developed cracks and pose a danger to the inmates. Accordingly, the inmates were evacuated with the help of SDRF (State Disaster Relief Force) and police teams along with their valuables," he said. Mir said a team of SDRF was stationed in the village, while other residents have been asked to remain alert and ensure immediate evacuation in case the structures develop cracks. Many areas of Rajouri including Kotranka have witnessed ...
Catch all the new developments here as India celebrates its 79th Independence Day
The Indian Air Force is ready to undertake relief and rescue operations in the aftermath of the deadly cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, with two Mi-17 helicopters and one Advanced Light Helicopter on standby at Jammu and Udhampur, sources said on Friday. Operations will commence at the "first available operational weather window", a source said. A massive flash flood triggered by the cloudburst struck the remote mountain village of Chisoti on Thursday, killing at least 60 people and injuring more than 100, officials said. Authorities have so far identified 30 of the retrieved bodies, they said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke with J-K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, took stock of the situation, and assured them of all help.
Over 60 people have died, 69 are missing, and more than 100 are injured after a cloudburst in J&K's Kishtwar, which destroyed homes, temples, a bridge, and several vehicles
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said he has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a devastating cloudburst in a remote village in Kishtwar district that has claimed 60 lives and injured more than 100. "I just received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I briefed him about the situation in Kishtwar and the steps being taken by the administration," Abdullah wrote in a post on X. He said his government and the people hit by the tragic cloudburst are grateful for the prime minister's support and all the assistance provided by the Centre. Earlier, addressing an Independence-Day function at the Bakshi Stadium here, Abdullah said at least 60 people have lost their lives and more than 100 have been injured in the tragic incident that occurred on Thursday. He said it needs to be ascertained if there was any lapse on the administration's part as "we already knew about the weather (forecast)". In his first Independence-Day speech after taking over as the chi
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have identified 21 bodies of the 46 that were retrieved from the cloudburst-hit Chisoti village in Kishtwar district, officials said on Friday. A massive flash flood triggered by a cloudburst struck the remote mountain village in Kishtwar on Thursday, killing at least 46 people, including two CISF personnel. To identify the deceased, the authorities shared victims' pictures through a WhatsApp group with the affected families, resulting in identification of 21 out of the 46 bodies retrieved, they said. Over 160 people have been rescued so far, and the condition of 38 among them is said to be serious. The officials have said that the death toll could go up as more people are believed to be trapped. "We have shared pictures of the bodies with them so that they can be identified," he said, adding that people are calling to find out the whereabouts of their family members following the cloudburst. On Thursday, the Jammu and Kashmir administration set u
Rescuers pulled out 167 people from under mounds of rubble. Of these, 38 are in serious condition, officials said