Kishtwar Cloudburst: 65 dead, over 100 missing as rescue efforts continue in Jammu & Kashmir

August 15, 2025

Jammu, Aug 15: A cloud burst occurred in Chasoti village of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir at 12.30 pm on August 14. Many people were hit by water and debris from the mountain. So far 65 people have died in the accident.

21 bodies have been identified. So far 167 people have been rescued. Of these, 38 are in critical condition. CM Abdullah said that more than 100 are still reported missing.

Meanwhile, former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah said, “I think more than 500 people are buried under the debris. A party member has said that 1000 people are buried.”

The accident occurred on Thursday when thousands of devotees had reached Chasoti village in Paddar sub-division in Kishtwar for the Machail Mata Yatra. This is the first stop of the yatra.

The cloud burst at the place where the yatra was to start. There were buses of pilgrims, tents, langars and many shops. All were washed away in the flood.

Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Sharma said- NDRF team is engaged in search and rescue. Two more teams are on the way. National Rifle soldiers are also engaged in the operation.

Five groups of 60 soldiers each (total 300), medical team of White Knight Corps, Jammu and Kashmir Police, SDRF and other agencies are engaged in the operation.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on X today, “I just received a call from Hon PM @narendramodi Sb. I briefed him about the situation in Kishtwar & the steps being taken by the administration. My government & the people hit by this tragic cloudburst are grateful for his support & all the assistance provided by the Union Government”.

I’ll be leaving for Kishtwar later this afternoon & will be going to the scene of the cloud burst tragedy early tomorrow morning to see, first hand, the extent of the damage. I will review the rescue operation & assess what further help is required.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 15, 2025

Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the disaster could result in substantial casualties and confirmed that the administration has swung into action, deploying rescue teams from the Civil Administration, Police, Army, NDRF, and SDRF. Adverse weather and washed-out roads have hampered air operations, forcing ground teams to lead much of the evacuation effort.

Witnesses said the cloudburst struck around 11.30 a.m. Thursday, when hundreds of pilgrims were present in the last motorable Chashoti village before the high altitude shrine. The sudden surge of water destroyed a community kitchen hosting nearly 200 pilgrims and also damaged nearby security installations. Many tents and temporary shelters set up for pilgrims were washed away in the deluge.

L-G Manoj Sinha has directed all agencies to strengthen rescue and relief operations and ensure all possible assistance to the affected. Control rooms and helpline numbers have been activated to help locate missing persons. The Machail Mata Yatra, which draws thousands of devotees every August, has been suspended until further notice.

Officials fear the casualty count may rise as many areas remain cut off. Rescuers, including volunteers from local organisations, are continuing their search along the riverbanks downstream from the disaster site. Critical health infrastructure was reinforced at Sub-District Hospital (SDH), Paddar, with an additional deployment of 13 doctors and 31 paramedics.

Government Medical College (GMC) hospital in Jammu is in full operational readiness with 50 dedicated disaster beds, 20 ventilator beds, and 5 operating theatres (OTs). Specialist medical teams comprising Orthopaedicians, Neurosurgeons, Critical Care Anaesthetists, and Maxillo-facial consultants are on standby. The GMC Jammu Blood Bank has been augmented with 200-plus units of blood available for any exigency.

To assist in the response to the situation, PGIMER Chandigarh has dispatched a specialised team comprising Critical Care Specialists and Neurosurgeons to GMC Jammu to further enhance critical care patient care capabilities. Immediately following the incident, a large fleet of 65 ambulances from the Health department, NHPC, Army, CRPF and 108 Emergency Service of the J&K Health and Medical Education department was deployed for rescue and patient transfer.