Chositi, Aug 14: Scenes of physical and psychological trauma unfolded in cloudburst-hit Chositi village of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday as rescuers dug out mud-buried bodies and extricated the injured trapped in slush and rocks.
A massive flash flood triggered by a cloudburst struck this remote mountain village in Kishtwar district, killing at least 50 people, including two CISF personnel, officials said. The death toll could go up as more people are believed to be trapped, officials said. Over 160 people have been rescued so far, and the condition of 38 among them is said to be serious.
Blood-stained bodies, mud-filled lungs, shattered ribs and deep wounds packed with stones — these are just some of the harrowing injuries sustained by people, including pilgrims and security personnel, caught in the aftermath of the catastrophic cloudburst in the foothill hamlet of Chositi.
Locals, Army personnel and police carried the injured on their backs after digging them out of the mud-ridden terrain for hours, taking them to hospitals. Many victims were unaware of what had befallen them.
“The catastrophe is widespread in Chositi, the base camp for the Machail Yatra. You can see devastation, deaths and injuries everywhere. It is the worst situation, and the death toll could rise,” BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma said.
The scenes were heart-wrenching — families crying and searching for their missing loved ones, wailing bitterly. Sharma and Kishtwar MLA Shugan Parihar joined locals and security forces in carrying the bodies of residents and pilgrims, lining them up on the road and covering them with white shrouds.
There were emotional moments as Shugan Parihar consoled women and girls, helpless in the loss of their dear ones. Scores of children, injured and unconscious, were carried on laps to hospitals, with drips administered on the spot.
“It is an unbearable situation. I am unable to hold back my tears. But we are here to support them. We have been calling the administration to send ambulances faster for treatment. The situation is very bad here in the village battered by the cloudburst,” Parihar said.
At least a dozen injured survivors, including members of second-line response teams, are fighting for recovery in hospitals across the state.
The hospital scenes were equally distressing, with patients being treated on the floor as bed capacity was exhausted. Being a far-flung area, medical staff from across Paddar and Kishtwar rushed to Atholi Hospital, treating scores of injured brought in several medical and civilian vehicles from the cloudburst-hit site.
Several victims are in a critical condition with broken ribs and legs, their injuries reflecting the sheer force of the cloudburst and subsequent landslides.
“Most have severe injuries — some to the chest, some on the head, others on the legs,” medical staff said. Health officials also suspected sand and mud lodged deep inside patients’ throats, lungs, and wounds.
The village, a base camp for the annual Machail Mata Yatra, was bustling with pilgrims when the disaster struck between 12 noon and 1 pm on Thursday. The floods, accompanied by mudslides and debris flows, buried homes, shops and vehicles, leaving casualties and many missing persons.
The flash floods also swept away a security camp and several vehicles parked at the bus stand. A temple in the middle of the flooded area miraculously survived.
A langar (community kitchen) set up for devotees bore the brunt of the cloudburst, which caused flash floods and washed away several structures, including shops and a security outpost.
Many vehicles at the bus stand, the starting point for the foot journey to the Himalayan temple of Machail Mata, were severely damaged by floodwaters and mud.
“It was a sudden cloudburst. We had left the shop close to langar (community kitchen) and had walked almost a kilometre when hell broke out. Flash flood decimated everything that came in their way. Within minutes, langar disappeared,” a pilgrim from Jammu said.
The floodwaters carried huge trees into the village, depositing them across an area of 500 meters. Amid the destruction, a temple in the middle of the flooded area survived.
As the injured lay covered in mud and slush, health officials appealed to residents to bring clothes from home. In response, locals and even nurses brought clothing for the victims.
Following the cloudburst, DIG Doda-Kishtwar range Shridhar Patil said rescue and relief operations are ongoing. He urged residents to contact designated helpline numbers for missing relatives and remain calm. Authorities are coordinating across the district to ensure safety and provide timely assistance.
Chositi, the last motorable point before the 8.5-kilometre trek to the Machail Mata shrine, is located about 90 km from Kishtwar town. The pilgrimage began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5.
This disaster comes just nine days after flash floods caused devastation in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, where 68 people remain missing. (AGENCIES)
