Srinagar: The death toll in the devastating cloudburst at Chisoti village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district climbed to 64 after rescuers recovered the body of a woman on Tuesday, officials said.
The decomposed body was found downstream as weather improvement allowed search teams to expand their operation. Sniffer dogs also located human remains under debris, believed to belong to a victim recovered on the first day of the tragedy.
The cloudburst on August 14 triggered flash floods that destroyed a makeshift market, a community kitchen for Machail Mata pilgrims, and damaged houses, temples, and infrastructure. Among the dead are three CISF personnel and a Special Police Officer.
Rescue teams, including the Army, NDRF, SDRF, CISF, BRO, police, and local volunteers, are working round-the-clock at multiple sites. Heavy machinery, sniffer dogs, and even controlled explosions are being used to clear giant boulders blocking access.
A Bailey bridge built by Army engineers on Sunday has restored some connectivity to Chisoti and the Machail Mata shrine. Over 160 people have been rescued, while the list of missing has been revised down to 39.
The annual Machail Mata yatra, suspended since the disaster, remains halted for a sixth consecutive day, though authorities are expected to allow a ‘Charri’ pilgrimage group to proceed later this week.
