Army joins rescue ops in Kishtwar, 300 troops deployed
Jammu: The Army has joined the relief and rescue operation at the cloudburst-hit Chisoti village in Kishtwar district, where at least 46 people have died and over 160 have been rescued, officials said.
Among the rescued, 38 are in a serious condition, officials said. The death toll went up steadily as the day progressed, and there were fears it could rise further.
“In the aftermath of a cloudburst at the Chisoti village in Kishtwar, troops of the White Knight swiftly mobilised for relief and rescue operations,” a Jammu-based Army PRO said.
The efforts are centred on safeguarding lives and aiding survivors, the spokesperson said, adding that the search for the missing continues.
The Army said that relief stores, medical teams and rescue gear have been rushed to the site.
Over five columns of 60 personnel each, totalling 300 troops, and medical detachments of White Knight Corps are on the ground, working with police SDRF and other civilian agencies to save lives, the PRO added.
“Search for missing is underway with medical aid and support reaching affected families,” the PRO said.
Disaster struck Chositi, the last motorable village on the way to Machail Mata temple, between 12 noon and 1 pm on Friday. A large number of people had gathered there for the annual Machail Mata yatra that began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5. The 8.5 km trek to the 9,500-feet shrine begins from Chositi, which is about 90 kilometres from Kishtwar town.
