Srinagar, Aug 16 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday reached Chasoti village in Kishtwar district to personally assess the devastation caused by a cloudburst-triggered flash flood that killed at least 60 people and left over 100 injured. He was accompanied by his political advisor Nasir Aslam Wani.
A senior army officer supervising the operations briefed Abdullah at the site about the progress of the rescue and relief work, which is being carried out jointly by security forces, local administration, and volunteers.
The chief minister was also shown a virtual reality presentation to get a clearer picture of the scale of destruction.
The disaster struck Chasoti, the last motorable village on the route to the Machail Mata temple around 12:25 pm on August 14. The flash flood flattened a makeshift market, a community kitchen site for pilgrims, and even a security outpost.
Families have reported 75 people missing, while eyewitnesses fear the actual number of casualties may be much higher, with many believed to be buried under boulders, wooden logs, and debris.
In addition to the heavy human toll, the flood damaged 16 residential houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre-long bridge, and over a dozen vehicles.
The Machail Mata Yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5, remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Saturday. The yatra typically begins with an 8.5-kilometre trek from Chasoti to the shrine, situated at an altitude of 9,500 feet and located nearly 90 kilometres from Kishtwar town.
Meanwhile, rescue teams continue their coordinated search for survivors and missing persons, as local residents join hands with officials in clearing debris and retrieving bodies.(KNS)
