Udhampur 16th August :- A mother and daughter from Jakhani in Udhampur district have gone missing after a sudden cloudburst hit the Chashoti area during the ongoing Machail Mata Yatra in Kishtwar.
The victims have been identified as Rubey Saini and her mother, Taro Rani, who were among a group of pilgrims visiting the holy shrine when the disaster struck.
According to Mandeep Saini, Rubey’s husband, his wife and mother-in-law were part of an eight-member group undertaking the pilgrimage. While six pilgrims managed to return safely, Rubey and Taro Rani remain untraceable. Mandeep, who hails from Punjab, revealed that he had married Rubey just six months ago. The couple had recently traveled to Udhampur to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with Rubey’s family before Mandeep returned to Punjab.
Shortly afterward, Rubey and her mother embarked on the Machail Mata Yatra but failed to return after the cloudburst. Mandeep stated that the duo was last known to be in Chashoti when the calamity occurred. Distraught over their disappearance, he has urgently appealed to the government and Kishtwar district administration to launch immediate search and rescue operations to locate his wife and mother-in-law. Local authorities have been alerted, and efforts are underway to trace the missing pilgrims amid challenging weather and terrain conditions. The family remains hopeful for their safe recovery as rescue teams intensify their search in the affected region.
