Chisoti’s Long Wait: Grief, desperation deepen as search for missing continues in Kishtwar
By: Our Special Correspondent
Kishtwar: The cloudburst that ripped through Chisoti village of Kishtwar last week has left behind not only flattened homes and broken livelihoods but also an agonizing silence for families still waiting for news of their missing loved ones. What was once a quiet hamlet tucked away in the mountains is now a landscape of mud, debris, and grief.
According to villagers, the disaster struck without warning. Torrential rain suddenly turned into a furious cloudburst, unleashing flash floods and landslides that swept away houses, livestock, and people in its path. Many families were caught inside their homes while others had no time to run for safety. Survivors say the force of water was so strong that it carried away boulders, trees, and entire structures in minutes.
“The water came like a wall, roaring through the valley. We had never seen such fury before,” recalled Vijay Singh, who narrowly escaped but lost his younger brother. “I tried to hold his hand, but he was gone in seconds.”
For the families left behind, the hardest part has been the endless waiting. Despite days of intensive search operations, several villagers remain missing. Rescue teams from the Army, SDRF, NDRF, and local police continue to dig through the debris, often with bare hands when heavy machinery fails to operate in the soft and unstable terrain. With every recovered body, a crowd gathers, families rush forward, and hopes rise only to collapse again.
“We just want their bodies back. At least then we can perform their last rites and find peace,” said Ramesh Kumar, who lost three members of his family. Sunita Devi, whose teenage daughter remains untraced, broke down as she said, “Every time a body is recovered, we run forward, praying it’s her. But the wait never ends.” Another villager, Kavita Sharma, has spent four days searching for her parents. “I still believe they may have survived somehow. My heart refuses to accept they are gone,” she said with tears in her eyes.
Officials admit that the operation is proving extremely difficult. The remoteness of the site, continuous rains, and unstable slopes have slowed down progress. “The terrain is treacherous, but our teams are committed to continuing until every missing person is accounted for,” said a senior officer involved in the rescue efforts.
The administration has established temporary relief camps for displaced families, where food supplies, tents, and medical assistance are being provided. Yet, villagers say no aid can heal the pain of their loss. In the evenings, Chisoti gathers in mourning. Survivors light lamps and recite prayers for the missing, drawing strength from each other even as grief weighs heavily on every face.
For Chisoti, the tragedy is not just in the destruction caused by nature’s fury but in the silence that lingers afterward. The wait for the missing continues—days stretching into nights, hope clashing with despair—leaving families caught in an endless cycle of prayer and pain.
