Rescue ops to be scaled down in J&K’s Kishtwar as no bodies found for three days, 36 still missing after cloudburst

SRINAGAR, AUG 23 : The large-scale search and rescue operation in cloudburst-hit Chesoti village of J&K’s Kishtwar district, where at least 68 people died and 36 remain missing, is set to be scaled down after three days without any recovery.

With hopes of finding more survivors or bodies fading, the authorities will continue with a limited search along the stream from Chesoti to downstream areas to trace those still missing.

An NDRF official said the rescue and relief operation has entered the 10th day today in the Chesoti village.

The teams of NDRF, SDRF, army, BRO, police and government agencies are engaged in the rescue and relief operation. The dog squads, specially designed Army’s All Terrain Vehicles and other heavy gadgetry are being used in the rescue and search operation.

The rescue teams have also carried out controlled blasting of the big boulders to break them and find the bodies buried under the rubble.

“We have expanded the search in the stream from Chesoti village to 40 kms. The bodies may have been washed away by the flashflood and we have extended our search in the stream upto 40 kms in hope of finding the bodies,” the NDRF official said.

However, no bodies have been retrieved either from the debris or from the stream in the last three days.

The cloudburst on August 14 in Chesoti village that triggered a flashflood and mudslide has caused the death of 68 people while over 100 were injured. Over a dozen houses have been damaged in the flash flood in the village.

According to the NDRF official, about 36 people are still missing and the chances of their survival are very remote.

At least 6 bodies have been retrieved from the stream so far.

The NDRF official said that with hopes of finding more survivors or bodies diminishing with each day, the authorities would be holding a meeting to take a call on whether to continue the large-scale operation.

“The large-scale operation may most probably be scaled down and limited operation to search for bodies in the stream connecting with Gulabgarh and other areas may be continued,” he said.

“The limited operation will be confined to the stream and its downstream areas only,” the official said.

The NDRF official said they have extensively searched the debris in the village and beneath the ground under boulders but no fresh bodies were retrieved.

An SDRF official, who is part of the rescue operation, said the search operation from the stream was extended upto Dul Dam, about 55 kms from the cloudburst hit village.

The four teams of SDRF were searching for the bodies in the stream and Dul Dam in boats.

“The main focus of the rescue operation has now shifted to stream and water bodies connected to it,” the SDRF official said.

The rescue and relief operation was launched immediately after the flash flood and mudslide triggered by cloudburst hit remote Chesoti village on August 14.

The NDRF official said the operation was very difficult and heart-wrenching.

“It took a lot of effort and energy to retrieve even a single body. We found some bodies in parts. Privacy of dead bodies was very important and we ensured the privacy of each and every body recovered,” he said.

The family members of the missing persons have been urging the administration to speed up the rescue operation to find their missing loved ones.

-PTI