Kishtwar Cloudburst: Pilgrims Were Eating Langar, Resting Next To Nullah When Flash Floods Hit
Pilgrims were standing in and around the nullah and waiting for langar were swept away when the cloud burst and the nullah swelled.
Groups of pilgrims were scattered in and around the Jasnai nullah and were sitting in setups, collecting food from a community kitchen, popularly known as langar, when flash floods washed them away following a cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar on Thursday.
The flash floods have claimed over 46 lives and injured over a hundred people. Over several dozens are being rescued. Officials said that rescue efforts are being hindered due to incessant rain in the region.
According to reports by the Indian Express and the Hindustan Times, the pilgrims were gathered at Chasoti village. The village is a key stop on the pilgrimage to the Hindu shrine Machail Mata Mandir.
'The deluge hit a community kitchen set up for the pilgrims where 100 to 150 pilgrims were having food," an officer speaking to the Hindustan Times said.
The Jasnai nullah is a regular stop along the pilgrimage route to the Chandi Mata temple in Paddar. The pilgrimage began on July 25, and so far more than 1.3 lakh devotees have visited the shrine.
This weekend is especially significant, as the number of pilgrims rises sharply. Each year, on the first Bhadon or Bhadoon Sankranti (August 15 or 16), devotees from across Paddar gather outside the temple in Machail to offer prayers and seek blessings, according to the shrine's website.
Local residents said the cloudburst struck between noon and 1 pm, when a large number of pilgrims had gathered at Chositi, the last motorable point before the Kali Mata temple in Machail, located at 2,880 metres. Pilgrims parked their vehicles at Chositi, where makeshift shops and a langar were set up, and continued to the temple on foot along the Jasnai nullah. When the cloudburst hit, many were either standing in the nullah or resting at the langar. Within seconds, the water level surged, sweeping away numerous devotees, locals said, leaving little time for anyone to react.
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