Officials race to clear boulders as rescue operations intensify in devastated Chisoti.
Jammu: On the third day of the massive rescue operation in disaster-hit Chisoti village of Kishtwar district, explosives were used on Saturday to blast giant boulders blocking access to affected areas, officials said. The decision came as rescuers raced against time, with hopes of finding survivors fading fast.
According to official figures, at least 57 people, including three CISF personnel and a Special Police Officer, have lost their lives, while 82 remain missing after the devastating cloudburst and flash floods struck the remote Padder subdivision on Thursday afternoon. So far, 167 people have been rescued, several of them critically injured.
The calamity struck Chisoti—the last motorable village on the Machail Mata yatra route—around 12:25 pm on August 14. It flattened a makeshift market, a langar site for pilgrims, and a security outpost. The fury of the flash floods also damaged 16 houses, several government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre bridge, and more than a dozen vehicles. Giant boulders, carried by the surging waters, piled up around the langar site, prompting the use of explosives when earthmovers failed to shift them.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited Chisoti on Saturday morning to take stock of the situation. He met the affected families, prayed for the departed souls, and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh for each deceased, Rs 1 lakh for the severely injured, and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.
For structural damages, the government will provide Rs 1 lakh for fully damaged houses, Rs 50,000 for severely damaged ones, and Rs 25,000 for partially damaged structures. The chief minister assured long-term rehabilitation in addition to immediate relief. “We stand with the people of Chisoti in this hour of tragedy. My government will ensure every possible assistance to rebuild their lives,” Abdullah said. Several locals welcomed his presence, expressing confidence that he would personally oversee rehabilitation.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, accompanied by J&K DGP Nalin Prabhat, had visited the devastated site late Friday night to review rescue operations. However, some villagers expressed dissatisfaction, saying the minister departed without engaging with them. “We feel relieved after the CM’s visit as he went door-to-door to listen to our demands. We hope he will also ensure relocation to safer areas and jobs for the kin of those killed,” said Rangeel Singh, a resident.
Rescue operations have been bolstered with the deployment of Army troops, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), police, and local volunteers. Nearly a dozen earth-movers, dog squads, and specialized equipment are in use.
Senior officials, including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, GOC Delta Force Maj. Gen. A.P.S. Bal, CISF DIG M.K. Yadav, Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar, IGP Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti, Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Kumar Sharma, and SSP Naresh Singh, are camping in the area to directly supervise operations.
The annual Machail Mata Yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5, remains suspended for the third consecutive day. The 8.5-km trek to the 9,500-ft-high shrine originates from Chisoti, now buried under mud, debris, and grief. Officials confirmed that 50 of the recovered bodies have been identified and handed over to families after completing legal formalities.
With each passing hour, the focus is shifting from rescue to retrieval, as teams continue to work under challenging conditions to provide closure to grieving families.
