J&K cloudburst kills at least 60 in Kishtwar's Chasoti village, rescue ops underway; CM announces ex-gratia aid

At least 60 people have been killed after a cloudburst triggered flash floods in Chasoti village of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Thursday (Aug 14). The disaster struck along the Machail Mata Yatra route, sweeping away yatris and residents and leaving behind widespread destruction. The Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, local police and the district administration are carrying out joint rescue operations. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has announced ex-gratia relief for the victims.

Rescue operation underway

Citing sources, ANI news agency reports that the Indian Air Force has been put on standby, as the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, local police and the district administration carry out the rescue operation. Two Mi-17 helicopters and one Advanced Light Helicopter have also been kept at the ready in Jammu and Udhampur for possible deployment.

In a statement, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday (Aug 15) confirmed that 60 bodies had been recovered. "Around 60 bodies have been found. The number of missing persons is being assessed. After the rescue and relief operation concludes, we will inquire whether the Administration could have taken any preventive steps when the Met Department had issued a warning and also advised people not to venture out if not needed. The rescue operation by the Army, NDRF, SDRF, Police, and Administration is underway. Workers of different political parties are also working on the ground," he told reporters.

After visiting the cloudburst-affected areas, Abdullah announced an ex-gratia relief from the CM's Relief Fund. He announced aid of ₹2 lakh for families of the deceased, ₹1 lakh for severely injured, ₹50,000 for minor injuries, ₹1 lakh for fully damaged structures, ₹50,000 for severely damaged structures and ₹25,000 for partially damaged structures.

Abdullah visited Chasoti to review the damage and was briefed by Army officials. Wearing a VR headset, he surveyed the destruction virtually and assured that immediate relief would be provided. Union Minister Jitendra Singh also reached the site late Friday to take stock of the situation.

On Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with those hit by recent natural disasters. "Nature is testing us...Over the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities. Our sympathies are with the affected people," he said.