Srinagar, Aug 14, The death toll in the massive cloudburst at Chositi village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district has risen to 60, official sources confirmed on Thursday. Dozens remain missing, and dozens of others are injured — many of them admitted to the District Hospital Kishtwar and the Sub-District Hospital Paddar.
Large-scale rescue and relief operations are underway with teams from the NDRF, Army, SDRF, police, and local volunteers on the ground. The Air Force has been placed on alert for evacuation, and authorities say the operation will continue until all missing persons are traced.
Officials said the cloudburst struck when a large number of devotees had gathered in Chositi for the Machail Mata yatra, sweeping away houses, shops, and a community kitchen, and causing widespread devastation in the remote area.
