SRINAGAR, AUGUST 16: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha spoke to senior Officials and took stock of the rescue and relief operations at Chashoti, Kishtwar.
In a social media post, the Lieutenant Governor said that he will ensure the reconstruction of homes damaged in flash floods. He also directed the senior officials to provide immediate relief and uninterrupted essential supplies to the affected.
“Spoke to Senior Officials and took stock of the rescue and relief operations at Chashoti, Kishtwar. I will ensure the reconstruction of homes damaged in flash floods. I’ve also directed the senior officials for immediate relief and uninterrupted essential supplies to the affected,” LG Sinha wrote on X.
Tragedy struck Chasoti — the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple — around 12:25 pm on August 14 that leaving 60 people dead and over 100 injured. It flattened a makeshift market, a community kitchen site for the pilgrimage, and a security outpost.
At least 16 houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-meter-long bridge, and over a dozen vehicles were also damaged in the flash flood.
The annual Machail Mata Yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5, remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Saturday.
The 8.5-kilometre trek to the 9,500-foot-high shrine starts from Chasoti, around 90 kilometres from Kishtwar town.
Rescue operations are underway as teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local administration continue to search for survivors and retrieve bodies.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has set up a control room-cum-help desk to assist people and pilgrims in Gulabgarh Paddar, about 15 km from Chashoti village. The numbers provided are: 9858223125, 6006701934, 9797504078, 8492886895, 8493801381, and 7006463710.