J-K: Chadi for Machail Mata pilgrimage arrives at Chasoti area in Kishtwar; over 60 dead, rescue operation continues

Kishtwar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 21 (ANI): The Chadi for the Machail Mata pilgrimage reached the Chasoti area in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Wednesday, where a devastating cloudburst occurred on August 14, claiming over 60 lives. Rescue operations are still underway.
Controlled explosions are being carried out to break down large boulders obstructing the area, as rescue teams continue to search for those still missing.
Sunita Devi, a participant in the ongoing pilgrimage, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, recalling how the pilgrimage was filled with joy and music in previous years.

Speaking to ANI, she said, "Chadi was welcomed with music and celebrations till last year, but this year there is a pain in my heart that I cannot express what happened recently. I hope such a disaster does not happen in future."
Sunita Devi also offered prayers for the souls of those who lost their lives and sought blessings from the goddess to avert such calamities.
Meanwhile, the cloudburst led to sudden flash floods during the pilgrimage, resulting in widespread destruction and the deaths of more than 60 people. Teams from the NDRF, SDRF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, CISF, Indian Army, and the local administration are engaged in rescue efforts, now in their eighth day.
Teams from NDRF, SDRF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, CISF, Indian Army, and the local administration are working on the eighth day of the rescue operation.
A day earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that it might be impossible to find anyone alive in the Kishtwar incident, stating that the disaster took place due to a cloudburst rather than a breach of glacial lakes.
"Finding the missing persons alive now looks nearly impossible. In these circumstances, we will try to retrieve as many bodies and hand them over to their loved ones. According to the information we have received so far, the disaster that happened in Kishtwar was due to a cloudburst and not a glacial lake breach," Omar Abdullah told reporters.
The Chief Minister added that the government would appoint a team of experts to assess the vulnerability of other regions and submit a detailed report to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
"Now we have to appoint a team of experts to identify areas which might be in danger. A few months ago, the same thing was seen in Ramban; at that time, the financial loss was more, and the loss of life was less. This time the loss of life was more, but to avoid such a situation in future or if it arises, what steps can be taken by the government to reduce the loss, for this we will have to appoint some experts and ask for their report," Abdullah said. (ANI)