Chisoti (Kishtwar), Aug 16, 2025 : Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Friday midnight visited Chisoti, the cloudburst-hit village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, and said the immediate priority was to trace people still missing and believed to be buried under debris.
Accompanied by J&K DGP Nalin Prabhat, Singh termed the calamity unprecedented. “A disaster of this scale was never witnessed in this part of the country. The priority is to trace those still missing,” he told reporters.
He appreciated the rescuers who launched operations despite harsh weather and difficult terrain. “Rescue helicopters could not reach due to bad weather, but all necessary equipment was moved overnight. NDRF, SDRF, the Army, Air Force and J&K Police are on the ground looking for survivors,” he said.
The August 14 disaster struck Chisoti — the last motorable village en route to Machail Mata temple — killing 60 people and injuring over 100. It flattened a makeshift market, community kitchen, a security outpost, 16 houses, several government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre bridge and over a dozen vehicles.
Singh said the BRO has joined efforts with special equipment to clear debris. On relief measures, he added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally monitored the situation, convened meetings and spoken to CM Omar Abdullah and LG Manoj Sinha.
“Soon after the Independence Day programme, I rushed here. You can see the urgency with which the Modi government is treating this calamity,” Singh said, adding that the government has offered chopper services for critically injured patients who need to be shifted outside J&K.
