Chositi (Kishtwar), Aug 15, 2025 : Heart-wrenching tales of survival emerged from Chositi village a day after a massive cloudburst triggered flash floods, killing at least 60 people and sweeping away homes, vehicles, and pilgrims on their way to the Machail Mata temple.
Nine-year-old Devanshi was buried under mud and debris when a Maggi-point shop was crushed by the torrent. Hours later, her uncle and villagers pulled her out alive. “I couldn’t breathe… Mata saved us,” she said, still trembling from the ordeal.
Thirty-two-year-old Sneha from Jammu was loading luggage when a wall of water and debris swept her and her family away. Trapped under a vehicle amid bodies, she clawed her way out. “I saw children with broken necks… I thought it was over,” she recalled, crediting locals, police, the Army, and CRPF for swift rescues.
Survivors described the sudden roar of water, a deafening blast, and an avalanche of boulders, trees, and mud that engulfed the village in seconds. Many sought shelter in shops that collapsed under the force of the flood. Others were swept toward the Chenab River.
Amid the devastation, stories of courage stood out. Locals, along with rescue teams, braved the raging waters to save dozens. Over 20 bikers, led by Ganga Ram, ferried the injured to safety after roads were cut off.
“This has been a battle against death,” a rescue worker said as operations continued through the night to retrieve bodies and search for the missing. Officials said the quick response prevented an even higher toll, but the scale of loss has left the community in shock and grief.
