Jammu, Aug 16: Relief and rescue operations are still underway in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir for the third consecutive day. So far, authorities have recovered 60 bodies and transported over 100 injured individuals to hospitals for medical care. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah arrived in Kishtwar on Friday evening and is expected to visit the disaster site in Chashoti village today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has communicated with the Lieutenant-Governor of J&K and the Chief Minister, offering assurances of all necessary assistance.

The recent cloudburst has led to severe flash floods, causing unprecedented destruction in J&K.

Rescue and relief operations have been ongoing in Chashoti village, where the tragic incident resulted in 60 fatalities and left many others injured.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, along with Jammu and Kashmir's DGP Nalin Prabhat, visited the affected area late Friday night to assess the ongoing rescue and relief efforts being conducted by various agencies, including the police, Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration, and local volunteers in the challenging terrain.

Out of the deceased, 46 bodies have been identified and returned to their families after legal procedures were completed.

Families have reported 75 individuals missing, although local witnesses suggest that the number could be much higher, with many swept away by the floods and buried under debris.

Among those who lost their lives were two members of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and a Special Police Officer (SPO) from the local police.

The disaster struck Chashoti, the last accessible village before the Machail Mata temple, around 12:25 PM on August 14.

The incident destroyed a temporary market, a community kitchen for pilgrims, and a security outpost.

Additionally, 16 homes and government structures, three temples, four water mills, a 30-meter bridge, and numerous vehicles were damaged in the floods.

The annual Machail Mata pilgrimage, which commenced on July 25 and was set to conclude on September 5, has been suspended for three days due to the disaster.

The trek to the 9,500 ft high shrine spans 8.5 kilometers, starting from Chashoti, located approximately 90 kilometers from Kishtwar town.

Rescue operations have been bolstered with the deployment of nearly a dozen earth-movers by the civil administration, along with specialized equipment and dog squads from the NDRF.

Dr. Jitendra Singh shared on X after visiting the disaster site, stating, “After a long, tedious uphill drive, managed to reach the site of the cloudburst disaster in Kishtwar… very late, around midnight.”

In addition to the SDRF, NDRF, home guards, local volunteers, and J&K police, the Army has dispatched over 300 personnel to support the rescue efforts.