Rajnath Singh meets Chishoti cloudburst victims at Jammu’s GMC hospital

JAmmu: unification defence authorities minister Rajnath Singh on dominicus visited Government Medical College (GMC) infirmary and met the victims of the cloudburst that hit Chishoti village in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha said that Singh is scheduled to visit Chishoti, around 290 km from Jammu city, on Sunday, subject to fair weather conditions permitting the chopper to fly.A massive cloudburst pummeled Chishoti village and flattened everything that came in its path on August 14. With the death of an injured woman at GMC in Jammu on Wednesday evening, the death toll in Chishoti has mounted to 65, officials said.“We have 16 injured from the Kishtwar cloudburst, who are being treated for various injuries. One of them has been kept in the ICU,” GMC Hospital medical superintendent Dr Virendra Trisal said.Meanwhile, overnight heavy rains lashed the Jammu region, inundating low-lying areas, damaging several houses, roads, electricity poles, and a bridge over Sahar Khad in Kathua on Sunday morning, officials said. They added that in the past 24 hours till 8:30 AM on Sunday, Jammu district received 190.4 mm of rainfall, followed by 115.4 mm in Katra and 90 mm in Kathua district.Traffic was diverted after a pillar beneath the bridge over Sahar Khad near Kalibari on the Jammu-Kathua National Highway (NH-44) in Kathua district tilted due to heavy rain, a police officer said. A portion of land near a temple on the banks of the River Tawi in Jammu also caved in due to the rain.Also Read: Kishtwar cloudburst: Injured woman dies at GMC Jammu, toll goes up to 65Heavy showers also triggered a landslide on the Kishtwar-Padder road near Pathernaki, around 32 km from Kishtwar. Around 50 houses were inundated and partially damaged in the Lower Roop Nagar area of Jammu, and a road along with some cattle in the locality was washed away.Senior superintendent of police (traffic) of Jammu Qaiser Farooq said that transportation was arranged for candidates appearing for the Junior Engineer (Electrical) examination conducted by the J&K Services Selection Board (SSRB).“After today’s heavy early morning downpour, traffic police (city) Jammu swung into action and ensured that not only roads remain hassle-free but those in distress are also reached out. We immediately arranged for transportation of candidates appearing for the JE (Electrical) examination as the landslides at various places had blocked roads, thereby making it difficult for the candidates to reach examination centres in time,” Farooq said.A girls’ hostel at the Indian Institute of Integrated Medicines (IIIM) on Canal Road was inundated. “The ground floor of the hostel was submerged in rainwater, compelling the students to take refuge on higher floors to save themselves. Later, State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) personnel used boats to rescue the students,” said a police officer.Also read: Kishtwar cloudburst toll reaches 64 as one more body recoveredLG Sinha said that 32 people are still missing in Chishoti. “Searches are still on to trace the missing pilgrims. Relief and rehabilitation measures have been initiated, and so far ₹4.13 crore has been disbursed among the affected families,” he added.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain and thundershowers at many places, with heavy to very heavy rains at a few places in Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur, Samba, Kathua, and Rajouri till Tuesday, along with moderate to heavy and intense showers over Poonch, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, and southern parts of the Kashmir division. It has also forecast the possibility of cloudbursts and flash floods at a few vulnerable places, along with landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones.People have been advised to stay away from water bodies, streams, river embankments, etc. “I advise the people to stay alert in view of the weather forecast of heavy rains in Jammu. SDRF and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are on high alert,” he added.