Chisoti tragedy: Group of young men on two-wheelers turned into heroes to save lives

Chisoti (J&K), Aug 19 (PTI) Amid the chaos and cries for help when fear gripped every heart in cloudburst-hit Chisoti hamlet of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, a group of ordinary men on two-wheelers turned into extraordinary heroes.

Known locally as 'Chisoti Bikers', these young volunteers were among the first responders who rushed to the site hit by the August 14 disaster to save lives. One of them was young Bhim Singh, who was ferrying pilgrims to the Himalayan temple of Mata Machail. By afternoon, his bike was no longer carrying devotees but the injured, the unconscious, and the dead.

“I dug out a one-year-old baby from the mud,” recalled Singh with his voice still trembling.

“She was drenched, unconscious, with mud in her nose, ears, and mouth. I cleared her airways and gave her CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). She coughed and breathed again. That moment gave me new strength,” he said.

With no ambulance in sight, Bhim placed the child in the lap of his group member and drove his bike through broken tracks towards the Hamori medical unit.

“On the way, she fell unconscious again. I repeated CPR...and she regained conscious. At the medical unit, she was given first aid and injections,” he said.

Just as Bhim was catching his breath, a woman drenched head-to-toe in mud ran towards him, shouting in the Padri language: “Bhima, she is my daughter, okay.” It was the baby’s mother — a survivor, dug out and brought by another biker.

“To my shock, the child turned out to be the daughter of my friend and classmate, Ranjeet,” Singh said.

The emotional reunion brought tears to the rescuers’ eyes before they rushed back into the mud to save others.

The scenes Singh described were haunting. The bikers did not stop there.

Mohan Lal, buried up to his neck, was pulled out and taken on a motorcycle to safety. Three women were trapped near the old temple — two were rescued, but the third’s leg was wedged deep in the debris.

“We had no tools. We dug like mice with our bare hands until we freed her,” said Singh.

The young volunteers also retrieved five to six bodies from the rubble.

“The locals, especially the bikers, played a godly role,” Singh said.

“In those first hours, there were not many official rescuers. It was mostly us. Over 30 to 40 lives were saved by local hands, and at least 10-15 bodies were recovered before the administration, Army and others could reach,” he added.

The bravery of the bikers did not go unnoticed.

“SDRF, Army, CRPF, CISF, and police are all engaged now, but the first heroes were the locals,” said Additional Superintendent of Police Pradeep Singh.

“Bikers risked their lives to shift injured patients across the flooded nallah to Hamori. We thank them from the core of our hearts,” the officer said.

He also highlighted the role played by a local, Manga Ram, and said, “We seek their continued support.” Courage that day was not limited to bikers.

Arif Rashid, an ambulance driver from Kishtwar, ran toward danger when he could have fled. He carried some on his shoulders and ferried the injured over five kilometres of damaged tracks.

“Rashid kept working for three days straight,” a villager said.

Local NGO Ababeel deployed seven ambulances and 20 volunteers to transport bodies from Atholi Sub-District Hospital to Doda’s Assar.

“So far, we’ve moved between 40 and 50 bodies,” said Sarfaraz from the NGO. “The toll will rise. Families wait in panic for news of loved ones.” From day one, RSS swayamsevaks also reached the site, retrieving bodies, arranging blood, food, and shelter.

“We were here from day one,” said Suresh, an RSS volunteer. “We will also help in rebuilding this village.” The Sikh community, true to its tradition of 'sewa', set up langar for survivors and rescue teams. “From battlefields to oxygen langars, Guru Nanak’s kitchen reaches everywhere,” said Inderjeet Singh, a volunteer.

NGO Seva Bharati too has set up a community kitchen at the site.

Special Police Officer (SPO) Kunj Lal Thakur is remembered as the “hero of Chisoti”.

While many ran to save themselves, Thakur jumped into the floodwaters to rescue trapped pilgrims. He saved at least a dozen lives before being swept away, pilgrims said.

“He didn’t care for his own life,” said Santosh Kumar, a pilgrim saved by him. “We request the administration to support his family with financial aid and a job.” Today, Chisoti — once home to 75 families — lies in ruins. Ten lives were lost, four remain missing. Survivors sit by the rubble of their homes, silent and broken. The air is heavy with mourning, but also alive with stories of resilience.

The tale of Chisoti is not just about destruction — it is about courage in the face of helplessness. About bikers who became lifelines, an ambulance driver who worked without pause, volunteers who offered food and solace, and a policeman who gave his life for strangers.

When nature tested this remote village of Jammu and Kashmir, humanity answered first, said villager Arjun Singh.

The flash floods triggered by the cloudburst struck Chisoti — the last motorable village enroute the Machail Mata temple — at around 12:25 pm on August 14, leaving 65 persons dead and over 116 others injured. Thirty nine people are still reported missing.

The annual Machail Mata yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5, has remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day. The 8.5-km trek to the 9,500-foot-high shrine starts from Chisoti, located about 90 km from Kishtwar town. PTI AB KVK KVK