Security personnel stand amidst the debris at an affected area following a cloudburst in J&K's Kishtwar.
- At least 60 people have been killed and over 100 suffered injuries in a Kishtwar cloudburst
- More than 500 people are believed to be trapped under debris in Kishtwar district
- Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured all possible assistance to those affected
At least 60 people died and over 100 got injured after a massive cloudburst struck Chashoti village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Thursday afternoon, said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The rescue operations are underway, and efforts are being made to extricate people stuck or buried under debris.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah believes over 500 people continue to be trapped.
"I believe more than 500 people are still trapped under the debris in Kishtwar, and some officials are saying the number may exceed 1,000. It is a moment of deep sadness," Mr Abdullah said, speaking to NDTV.
In his first Independence Day speech after taking over as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in October last year, Mr Abdullah started his address by expressing his sympathies for the families who lost their loved ones Kishtwar cloudburst.
Addressing the Independence Day function at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, Mr Abdullah expressed condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in a cloudburst and prayed for the recovery of those injured.
"I would also like to pray for those who have been injured that they get well as soon as possible," he said, assuring the affected people of all possible assistance.
He said it needs to be ascertained if there was any lapse on the administration's part, as "we already knew about the weather (forecast)".
"Could we have taken more steps from the government and the administration to save these precious lives? We have to make ourselves accountable on this account," he said.
Earlier, Mr Abdullah said he received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on which he briefed the PM about the situation and the steps being taken by the administration.
"My government and the people hit by this tragic cloudburst are grateful for his support and all the assistance provided by the Union Government," Mr Abdullah wrote in a post on X.
A large-scale rescue operation is underway by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, Army and local volunteers.
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.
