No stone left unturned to provide relief to cloudburst-hit people in J&K;'s Kishtwar: Rajnath

Jammu, Aug 24 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the Centre is making all efforts to provide relief and rehabilitation to those affected by a recent cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district.

Reviewing the situation in the affected Chisoti village via video-conferencing from the Raj Bhawan here, Singh said it is heartening to note that the Union Territory administration, Army, NDRF, SDRF and police have done excellent work during the crisis situation.

Flash floods triggered by the cloudburst struck Chisoti, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple, on August 14, killing 65 people, mostly pilgrims, and leaving more than 100 injured.

A large-scale search operation is underway for 32 people reported missing by their families after the tragedy. A makeshift market, a langar (community kitchen) site for the annual pilgrimage to the Machail Mata temple, 16 houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre-long bridge and more than a dozen vehicles were also damaged in the incident.

"Due to inclement weather, I could not go to the cloudburst affected areas of Kishtwar today. Reviewed the situation at Chisoti from Jammu, via video conferencing facility," Singh said in a post on X.

The review meeting was attended by Union minister Jitendra Singh, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, senior Army and police officers, among others.

"It is heartening to note that the state administration, Army, NDRF, SDRF, J&K Police have done excellent work during the crisis situation. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the Central Government is leaving no stone unturned in providing relief and rehabilitation to those who have been affected by this tragic incident," the defence minister said in his post. PTI TAS RC