46 Dead, Over 150 Rescued After Cloudburst in J&K

A massive cloudburst led to flash floods in a remote mountain village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Thursday, killing at least 46 people, including two CISF personnel, and trapping many more.

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

As night fell over Chositi village, rescuers worked frantically and pulled out 167 people from under mounds of rubble. Of these, 38 are in a serious condition, officials said. The death toll went up steadily as the day progressed, and there were fears it could rise further.

Disaster struck Chositi, the last motorable village on the way to Machail Mata temple, between 12 noon and 1 p.m. A large number of people had gathered there for the annual Machail Mata yatra that began on July 25 and is scheduled to end on September 5. The 8.5-kilometer trek to the 9,500-foot shrine begins from Chositi.

Chositi is about 90 kilometers from Kishtwar town. A 'langar' (community kitchen) packed with devotees bore the brunt of the cloudburst, which led to flash floods and washed away several structures, including shops and a security outpost.