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Kishtwar cloudburst: More bodies recovered, rescue work underway
With the recovery of three more bodies from the debris on Tuesday, the death toll in cloudburst-hit Chishoti village has mounted to 64, said officials.
With the recovery of three more bodies from the debris on Tuesday, the death toll in cloudburst-hit Chishoti village has mounted to 64, said officials.
“On Tuesday, the rescuers recovered three more bodies and two body parts (arm and leg) from the debris. With this the toll has gone up to 64,” said Kishtwar district commissioner Pankaj Sharma. He informed that the bodies and limbs were sent to GMC Kishtwar for DNA profiling. “We have taken DNA samples of kins and they are being matched with bodies being recovered from the debris,” he said.
“We had no clear picture about missing and dead but as the days proceeded, the kin of missing pilgrims came forward and shared the information at the command and control centre set up by the administration. Initially, 137 people were reported missing, out of whom 62 were rescued alive,” he said.
“The big boulders are being blasted with controlled explosions so as to search the debris beneath them,” he sai. As the rescuers recovered more bodies, the missing count has now come down to 39, he added.
A police officer said that three bodies recovered today were decomposed.
The rescuers conducted over half a dozen controlled explosions in the past three days to blow up giant boulders, which had been hampering the search. Sniffer dogs also helped recover a body part of one of the victim but the officials believed it be that of a body which was found on Day 1.
The rescue teams are working at multiple locations, especially the major impact spot near a langar (community kitchen) site, sifting through the rubble using heavy machinery, including JCBs and sniffer dogs.
A police officer said the rescue and relief operation is going on at war footing and a team is being dispatched downstream to check the area. The joint teams of police, army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), CISF, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration, and local volunteers are engaged in the rescue efforts.
Machail Mata yatra remains suspended
The annual Machail Mata yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5, remained suspended for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday.
However, the authorities will allow a group of devotees carrying “Charri” from Jammu and is expected to reach the shrine on August 21 or 22.
At Srinagar, chief minister Omar Abdullah said that everyone was aware of the situation in Kishtwar. “Day by day it is becoming almost impossible to rescue alive almost 70 people who are still missing. In this situation, our effort will be to recover as many bodies as possible and hand them over to the families with proper respect and arrangements,” he told reporters.
The BJP government at the Centre was likely to announce a special compensation for cloudburst victims of Kishtwar and Kathua districts.
Meanwhile, Doda district administration on Tuesday made registration of pilgrims for the Kailash Yatra mandatory and issued certain guidelines.
The pilgrimage will commence Wednesday and conclude on Friday.
Doda district commissioner Harvinder Singh said, “Safety and security of devotees is our topmost priority. In view of recent cloudburst incidents at Padder amd Kathua and inclement weather, precautionary restrictions have been imposed.”
“Women and children not permitted to participate this year due to safety concerns. Chattergala route has been closed for pilgrims as it is vulnerable to heavy rivulets, gusty winds and unsafe terrain,” he said.
The DC informed that the Yatra shall proceed only via traditional routes—Sungli, Nalthi and Drafda (Bhalla).
“A comprehensive deployment plan has been made. We are ensuring officials, medical facilities, disaster preparedness, water, shelter, communication and security at all major points. Since mobile connectivity is poor, we are relying on wireless phones.”
He appealed to devotees to follow advisories strictly for their own safety.
“What has unfolded in Kishtwar and Kathua is known to all. We cannot take chances with the lives of the devotees. I appeal intending pilgrims to co-operate with the administration and abide by the advisory,” he added.
Despite weather alerts and advisories issued by the MeT department and allied agencies warning of cloudbursts and heavy to very heavy rains that may trigger landslides, Kishtwar district administration, especially sub-divisional magistrate of Padder didn’t take any proactive action on Chandi Mata Yatra to Machail in Kishtwar district. “District administration including SDM Padder should have taken a serious cognisance of the weather alerts and advisories. They didn’t act on time and the Mata Machail pilgrimage continued amid heavy rains. We all know how administration suspended Amarnath Yatra during heavy rains to avoid loss of human lives. Kishtwar district administration cannot escape the blame of being negligent,” said a senior police officer, who declined to be named.
