Kishtwar 14 August :- A catastrophic cloudburst hit Chashoti village of Padder in district Kishtwar, on Thursday , causing huge flash floods on the sacred “Machail Mata Yatra” route. At least 10 bodies have been retrieved thus far, with authorities warning that the death toll may increase as the search and rescue process is on. The tragedy has disrupted the annual yatra, in which thousands of pilgrims undertake the trek to the sacred “Chandi Mata Temple of Machail, Paddar.
District administration, along with SDRF, NDRF, police, Army, and Air Force units, initiated prompt rescue operations. Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, explained, “At about 11:30 AM, we got information of a cloudburst at Chashoti. Rescue forces, including SDRF and local police, reached the area. NDRF is on the way, and Army-Air Force support has been made operational.”
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh and Member of Parliament from Udhampur-Kathua-Doda talked with Kishtwar’s Deputy Commissioner, Pankaj Kumar Sharma, providing all available assistance.Medical personnel have been deployed along the yatra path, and the authorities are making efforts to reconnect. With anxiety over further casualties,rescue operations are wading through rubble and water-logged patches. The Army and Air Force are on stand-by for evacuation in case of necessity.
