Search and rescue teams have stepped up operations to find people still missing after the deadly cloudburst that hit the Chashoti village in Kishtwar’s Paddar area on August 13.
The disaster struck during the Machail Mata pilgrimage, leaving 65 people dead so far, including three CISF personnel and a J&K Police Special Police Officer. More than 100 others were rescued with injuries.
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Approximately 36 people remain unaccounted for, keeping rescue efforts ongoing for the eighth consecutive day.
Teams from the NDRF, SDRF, Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the GREF are working together at the site.
The search has been difficult as huge boulders and heavy debris block access.
Controlled blasts and rock-cutting machines are being used, with several heavy machines now working in the area.
The operation is focused on three main spots: the site of a community kitchen, houses swept away by the flood, and the Bhuat nullah in Gulabgarh. Another team is scanning the 22-kilometre stream between Chashoti and Gulabgarh, where two bodies were recovered earlier this week.
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Searches are also being carried out at the Dool dam and the Chenab river, in case bodies had been washed downstream.
To restore access, Army engineers have built a temporary bridge across the Chashoti nullah.
They have also deployed all-terrain vehicles and heavy-duty trucks to clear debris and speed up relief work.
Deputy Commissioner (Kishtwar) Pankaj Sharma told THE WEEK that efforts to recover the bodies are going on.
“A multi-agency operation is going on to find the bodies of the missing,” Sharma said.
“Now we are also carrying searches on the banks of the Chenab river. We are trying hard, but can’t tell how long it will take to find the bodies of the missing.”
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Meanwhile, the Machail Mata Yatra has been suspended for the eighth day. However, in respect of religious faith, the sacred Chhari (Jyot) of Machail Mata was allowed to proceed with a small group of 15 devotees from the Gulabgarh base camp.
Senior IAS and IPS officers sent by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha are overseeing the mission. DNA tests are being conducted on the bodies for identification.
As the operation continues, the forecast for more rainfall is between August 23 and 26, in addition to cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides. People have been advised to stay away from rivers, streams, and unstable slopes until conditions improve.