THE Omar Abdullah-led government has launched a massive relief and rescue operation in J&K’s Chositi village in Padder sub-division of Kishtwar district, which was hit by a cloudburst that has left 38 dead and over 100 injured on Thursday.

Army’s Nagrota headquartered White Knight Corps said on X, “Relief operations continue in full swing. Over 5 columns of 60 personnel each and medical detachments of #WhiteKnightCorps are on ground, working tirelessly in consonance with #JKP, #SDRF and other civilian agencies to save lives & assist those in need. Search for missing underway with medical aid & support reaching affected families. Relief operations continue.”

Earlier, L-G Manoj Sinha said that rescue and relief operations at Chashoti are in full swing.

“Men & machinery have been put at the site. Other teams have also been rushed. Briefed Hon'ble Union Home Minister Sh. Amit Shah Ji on rescue & relief Ops by various agencies. He has assured all possible assistance,” he wrote on X.

Meanwhile, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah decided to cancel the ‘At Home’ in connection with Independence Day due to the Kishtwar tragedy.

“In light of the tragedy caused by the cloud burst in Kishtwar, I have taken the decision to cancel the 'At Home' tea party tomorrow evening,” Omar Abdullah informed on the X.

The Chief Minister also said that the government has decided not to go ahead with the cultural events during the morning Independence Day celebrations.

“The formal events - speech, march past etc will go ahead as planned,” the Chief Minister informed.

Following the cloudburst, the J&K government under Omar Abdullah have shifted the injured to the hospital for treatment, while helicopters have been pressed into service to evacuate the injured people.

MoS (PMO) Jitendra Singh confirmed that the cloudburst hit Chositi, adding that the rescue operation has already started.

Singh said rescue teams have already been dispatched to the site to carry out damage assessment and provide necessary rescue and medical assistance.

He assured that his office is receiving regular updates and all possible support will be extended to the affected area.

J&K L-G Manoj Sinha said earlier, “Anguished by cloudburst in Chositi Kishtwar. “Condolences to bereaved families & prayers for the quick recovery of the injured. Directed Civil, Police, Army, NDRF & SDRF officials to strengthen the rescue & relief operations and ensure all possible assistance is provided to the affected.”

Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on X: “I just spoke to the Union Home Minister @AmitShah Sb to brief him about the developing situation in the Kishtwar region of Jammu.

“The news is grim & accurate, verified information from the area hit by the cloud burst is slow in arriving. All possible resources are being mobilised from within & beyond J&K to manage the rescue operations. I’m not going to be speaking to channels or news agencies.”

He said that the government will share information as and when possible.

Leader of the Opposition in J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma of the BJP, Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar and SSP Kishtwar have left for the affected village to lead rescue efforts.

Sharma said that the incident occurred at the last point where four-wheelers are parked and several temporary shops are set up for the Shri Machail Yatra.

According to ADC Kishtwar, the Machail Yatra has been suspended until further notice. He urged the public not to panic, assuring that all available resources, including SDRF, Red Cross, and other government machinery, are engaged in rescue operations.

The area falls under a shadow zone, making communication difficult. Unconfirmed reports indicate significant damage to structures and a possible loss of life, though official confirmation is awaited.

“Yes, we have reports of a cloudburst. We have sent rescue teams to the village,” said SSP Kishtwar Naresh Singh.

Locals report that the region’s remoteness, heavy rains, and poor connectivity are hampering access and updates.

Cloudbursts, flash floods hit Himachal

Three cloudbursts and flash floods, two landslides and one drowning incident were reported in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, resulting in damage to eight bridges and 12 vehicles and blocking of multiple roads, including a national highway, the State Emergency Operation Centre said here.

The natural calamities were reported in Shimla, Sirmaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, and Kinnaur districts. Fortunately, no human casualty was reported, though one person is missing, who is suspected to have drowned in the Parvati River in Kullu district.

The incident happened at around 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Triggered by a cloudburst in the higher reaches of the Rishi Dogri Valley, the deluge engulfed the bridge across the Sutlej River and injured one individual.

Braving fast currents, the team reached the location and discovered four civilians stranded on the far bank. Working with precision under challenging conditions, the HADR team illuminated the general area to aid night rescue operations. They also guided the stranded civilians to higher and safer ground and evacuated the injured individual to the Regional Hospital in Reckong Peo, the district headquarters.

The government said all these calamities resulted in the damage of eight bridges, multiple roads blocked, 12 vehicles damaged, six cow sheds and four cottages destroyed. Restoration and damage assessment efforts are ongoing across affected areas, it added.