Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday visited Chasoti village in Kishtwar district to meet families affected by the devastating flash floods triggered by a cloudburst.
Abdullah also reviewed ongoing rescue and relief efforts, receiving a detailed briefing from Army officials. Using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset, he assessed the scale of destruction and assured immediate support for the victims.
Rescue operations are being jointly carried out by the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and the district administration.
The cloudburst, which struck on Thursday along the Machail Mata Yatra route, unleashed massive floods and destruction, leaving at least 60 people dead.
Confirming the toll on Friday, Abdullah said the number of missing persons was still being verified. “Around 60 bodies have been recovered. Once rescue and relief conclude, we will assess whether the administration could have taken preventive measures, given the Met Department’s warnings,” he told reporters, adding that political workers across parties were also helping on the ground.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh visited Chasoti late on Friday to review the situation. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force has been put on standby, with two Mi-17 helicopters and one Advanced Light Helicopter kept ready in Jammu and Udhampur for emergency deployment.
Earlier, during his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with families affected by natural calamities across the country.