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At least 17 people have died and more than 50 others have been injured after a massive cloudburst struck Chishoti, a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, on Thursday. According to reports, the disaster occurred along the Machail Mata Yatra route to the Himalayan shrine of Mata Chandi, throwing the annual pilgrimage into chaos. A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel deployed for yatra duty is among the dead, and 3 other CISF jawans are reported missing.

Rescue teams, including personnel from the police, Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), have been deployed to look for survivors and evacuate those trapped. Videos being shared on social media show pilgrims being hurried away from the starting point of the yatra as flash floods raged through the area, even as the officials were heard shouting warnings as the floodwaters, triggered by the cloudburst, surged downstream.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the incident “could result in substantial casualties” and confirmed he had spoken with Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma after receiving alerts from local leaders. “The administration has immediately swung into action, and the rescue team has left for the site. Arrangements for evacuation, rescue, and medical care are in place,” he said. He also confirmed that large-scale rescue operations are ongoing in the affected areas.

Expressing grief over the tragedy, LG Manoj Sinha offered his condolences to the bereaved families and wished a swift recovery for the injured. He also directed all agencies to intensify rescue and relief efforts and ensure maximum assistance to those impacted.