Jammu & Kashmir cloudburst: After Kishtwar, flash floods hit Pahalgam's Frislan & Batkoot areas

After a massive cloudburst in Jammu & Kashmir's Kishtwar, flash floods struck Frislan and Batkoot areas of Pahalgam on Thursday, damaging roads and local infrastructure.

This comes amid an ongoing rescue mission in Kishtwar district and teams continue to recover bodies after a massive cloudburst earlier in the day.

According to officials, at least 30 people have been killed near Chasoti village, the last motorable point on the route to the Machail Mata shrine in Kishtwar. The incident has also impacted nearby Narang village.



Rescue personnel fear the toll could rise as operations continue.

Two teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), with about 180 members equipped with modern rescue tools, have been deployed from Udhampur to Kishtwar. The annual Machail Mata yatra has been suspended.

The Jammu & Kashmir administration has set up a control room-cum-help desk in Paddar, around 15 km from the site, with dedicated phone lines for assistance. Additional contact points have been provided through the district and police control rooms.

PM Modi has also assured possible assistance to those in need. "My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir. The situation is being monitored closely. Rescue and relief operations are underway. Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need."

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the loss of lives, stating, “Anguished by cloudburst in Chositi Kishtwar. Condolences to bereaved families & prayers for the quick recovery of injured. Directed Civil, Police, Army, NDRF & SDRF officials to strengthen the rescue & relief operations and ensure all possible assistance is provided to the affected.”

This marks the first major such incident in Jammu & Kashmir this monsoon season. In neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, heavy rains, flash floods, and cloudbursts have already caused losses of over Rs 2,000 crore, claiming over 240 lives so far.