Patnaik condoles deaths in cloudburst in J&K;'s Kishtwar

Bhubaneswar, Aug 14 (PTI) BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Thursday expressed grief over the loss of lives in a massive cloudburst that struck a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Thursday, killing at least 17 people.

The toll could rise further, officials said, adding that 65 people have been rescued so far.

“Deeply saddened to know about the loss of so many precious lives following a massive cloudburst that struck in the #Kishtwar District of Jammu and Kashmir. My thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families during this difficult time, and pray for the speedy recovery of those who have sustained injuries,” Patnaik said in a post on X.

“We pray to Lord Jagannatha to offer strength to the families who faced the nature’s fury, and salute the rescue personnel for their efforts to save precious lives,” the former Odisha chief minister said.

The disaster hit Chositi, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple, between 12 noon and 1 pm. PTI AAM RBT