SRINAGAR: Braving rains and treacherous terrain, rescue teams on Monday pressed ahead with large-scale search operations in cloudburst-hit Chisoti village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar, entering the fifth consecutive day to trace the missing.
Rescuers, clad in raincoats, worked tirelessly at multiple sites—particularly near a langar (community kitchen)—sifting through massive debris with earth-movers, sniffer dogs, and controlled explosions to clear boulders blocking the search.
The devastating cloudburst on August 14 flattened the village, killing 61 people—including three CISF personnel and a Special Police Officer injuring over 100, and leaving nearly 50 still missing. The flash floods razed a makeshift market, a langar site for the Machail Mata yatra, 16 houses, temples, bridges, and vehicles, leaving behind a trail of ruin.
“Despite warnings of more heavy rain, we are doing everything possible to recover the bodies of the missing,” a CISF officer said. Joint teams of the Army, Police, NDRF, SDRF, CISF, BRO, civil administration, and local volunteers remain engaged round-the-clock.
To restore access, Army engineers constructed a Bailey bridge over Chisoti nullah, enabling connectivity to the cut-off village and the revered Machail Mata shrine. All-terrain vehicles have also been deployed to intensify operations.
The Machail Mata yatra, which began on July 25 and was slated to continue till September 5, remains suspended for the fifth straight day.
Rescuers, backed by heavy machinery and dog squads, continue to dig through the debris, holding out hope amid devastation.
