Jammu, Aug 16 (NationPress) Rescue and relief efforts have been ongoing for the third consecutive day in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), where 60 deceased individuals have been recovered and over 100 injured persons have been transported to medical facilities for care. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah arrived in Kishtwar on Friday evening, planning to reach the disaster-stricken area at Chashoti village today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached out to the Lieutenant Governor of J&K and the Chief Minister, promising all necessary assistance.

The recent cloudburst has resulted in severe flash floods, causing unprecedented destruction in J&K.

For the third day, coordinated rescue and relief operations have been taking place in Chashoti village, where 60 lives were lost and over 100 individuals suffered injuries.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, along with Jammu and Kashmir's DGP Nalin Prabhat, visited the affected village late Friday night to evaluate the ongoing rescue and relief operations conducted by the police, Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), local administration, and volunteers working in the challenging terrain.

To date, 46 bodies have been identified and returned to their families following the completion of legal protocols.

Meanwhile, 75 individuals are reported missing by their families, with locals and witnesses suggesting that hundreds may have been swept away by the floods and buried under large boulders, logs, and debris.

Among the deceased are two members of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and a Special Police Officer (SPO) from the local police.

The calamity struck Chashoti, the last accessible village on the path to the Machail Mata temple, at approximately 12:25 P.M. on August 14.

This disaster obliterated a makeshift market, a community kitchen for Machail Mata Yatris, and a security post.

At least 16 residential structures, government facilities, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre-long bridge, and over a dozen vehicles were also damaged in the floods.

The annual Machail Mata yatra, which commenced on July 25 and was set to conclude on September 5, has been suspended for the third day in a row.

The trek to the 9,500 ft high shrine, which is 8.5 kilometers long, begins from Chashoti, located around 90 kilometers from Kishtwar town.

Rescue operations have intensified, with nearly a dozen earth-movers deployed by the local administration and specialized equipment and canine units from the NDRF utilized.

Dr. Jitendra Singh stated on X after visiting the disaster scene, “After a long, challenging drive, I reached the cloudburst disaster site in Kishtwar very late, around midnight.”

In addition to the SDRF, NDRF, home guards, local volunteers, and J&K police, the Army has mobilized over 300 personnel to enhance the rescue efforts.