Two more bodies recovered in Kishtwar, death toll reaches 63

On the fifth day of search and rescue operations following the devastating cloudburst in Kishtwar district, two more bodies were recovered on Monday, bringing the official death toll to 63.

One of the victims, a woman, was found downstream in a gorge near Kukundra village, while the other body was discovered buried near a temple.

Officials said the powerful flash flood, triggered by a cloudburst in Chositi village on August 14, had swept several bodies far from the site of impact.

Among the deceased are three personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). So far, 167 individuals have been rescued. The number of missing persons has now been revised to 39 following a fresh verification of records.

Despite heavy rain and adverse weather conditions, search operations continued on Monday. Rescue teams — including personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Army, and other government departments — are working tirelessly to clear debris, muck, and large boulders that may be concealing more bodies.

Controlled explosions were carried out at multiple locations to break through massive rocks impeding the search.

The worst-hit area was a community kitchen near a seasonal nullah, where dozens of pilgrims — mainly from Jammu, Udhampur, and surrounding districts — had gathered for a meal on their way to the Machail Mata shrine when the cloudburst struck. Many were swept away by the surging waters.

Meanwhile, the entire Jammu region witnessed heavy rainfall on Monday, prompting authorities to order the closure of all schools. Educational institutions will remain shut on Tuesday as well, following a fresh weather alert.

In Poonch district, flash floods caused damage to two houses and a school in Khanetar. While no casualties have been reported there, property damage was recorded in several areas. Rescue teams have evacuated people from multiple vulnerable locations.

8 senior IAS, IPS officers deployed in Chisoti

In an order by the Lt Governor, four IAS and equal number of IPS officers have been deployed at Chosoti village where cloudburst struck killing over 60 people on August 14.

Principal Secretary Home, Chandraker Bharti, and Inspector General of Police (Operations & Services) Uttam Chand will supervise operations on August 19 and 20, followed by Principal Secretary Anil Kumar Singh and IGP Sujit Kumar on August 21 and 22.

Financial Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Shaleen Kabra and IGP Suleman Chaudhary will be deployed on August 23 and 24, followed by Secretary Shahid Iqbal Choudhary and IGP Vivek Gupta on August 25 and 26.