- Flash Floods Ravage Chositi Village, PM Modi Assures Full Support to J&K
SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI, AUGUST 15: A devastating cloudburst in the remote mountain village of Chositi, Kishtwar, has left Jammu and Kashmir reeling under tragedy. The disaster, which struck between noon and 1 p.m. on Thursday, unleashed flash floods and torrents of mud and debris that swept away homes, shops, vehicles, and even a security outpost. The calamity has so far claimed at least 60 lives, left 69 missing, and injured more than 100 people, with officials fearing the toll may rise as search operations continue.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in swift response, spoke with both Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, assuring them of all possible assistance. In a message posted on X, the Prime Minister paid homage to the victims, lauded the ongoing relief operations, and urged authorities to leave no stone unturned in aiding those affected. His words carried both grief and resolve: “Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected.”
The scale of the devastation has been stark. Two Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel are among the deceased, while authorities have shared photographs of victims via WhatsApp groups to help families identify their loved ones. At least 30 victims have been identified so far. With power supply snapped, stranded villagers in Machail and Hamori remain cut off, their phones dead, heightening the anguish of families awaiting word.
Chositi, usually a vibrant base camp for the annual Machail Mata Yatra, was teeming with pilgrims when disaster struck. The pilgrimage, which began on July 25, now lies suspended, as rescue teams work tirelessly to recover survivors and restore normalcy. Reports of pilgrims swept away and bodies floating in the Chenab River have added to the grimness of the situation.
The impact on infrastructure has been severe. Sixteen residential and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, and a 30-meter span bridge have been destroyed. Floodwaters demolished a langar set up for devotees, leaving behind twisted vehicles, collapsed houses, and uprooted trees. Amid this devastation, one temple in the heart of the flood zone remarkably survived, becoming a rare symbol of hope.
Relief efforts have been intense and multi-pronged. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has joined forces with the Army, Rashtriya Rifles, White Knight Corps, SDRF, and local police in a coordinated rescue. Over 300 Army personnel with medical detachments are on the ground, while volunteer organizations such as Ababeel and Hilal Volunteers have mobilized ambulances and manpower to ferry the injured to hospitals. Despite heavy rains, rescue operations resumed at dawn after a night-long pause, with earth-movers clearing boulders and rubble to accelerate the search for survivors.
The health sector has been placed on high alert. Specialist doctors from PGI-Chandigarh are en route to reinforce medical care at the Government Medical College, Jammu. The Health and Medical Education Department has mobilized 65 ambulances, 13 additional doctors, and 31 paramedics, while GMC-Jammu has readied 50 disaster beds, 20 ventilator beds, and multiple operating theatres. Blood banks are stocked, and specialist teams in neurosurgery, orthopaedics, and trauma care are on standby to manage critical cases.
As distress calls continue to pour into a help desk established at Paddar, families of the missing wait in quiet desperation, clinging to fragments of hope. Volunteers, security forces, and medical teams, undeterred by rain and treacherous terrain, embody the resilience and collective will of the region in the face of calamity.