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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
A rush of pilgrims, and then, all swept away: Eyewitnesses recount Kishtwar flash flood horror
It was a loud clap of thunder that alerted Pradeep Singh, sitting inside his makeshift dhaba in Kishtwar's Paddar. He looked up to see a dust storm coming and immediately ran for cover – just in the nick of time. Within minutes, the place – some 9 km away from the main Mata Machail temple — was covered by slush, boulders and uprooted trees. 'This place was teeming with chanting pilgrims,' Singh, a 35-year-old from Chirala village in Doda's Bhaderwah, says. 'But within minutes, it was all swept away. When I looked back, all I could see was muck, boulders and uprooted trees in the 200-300 sq metre area.' On Thursday afternoon, a cloudburst hit the Mata Machail yatra route in Kishtwar, killing at least 65 people, although the toll could climb higher. The flash floods, which came at a time of the ongoing Mata Machail yatra, is believed to have swept away several pilgrims and damaged several homes. According to eyewitnesses, hundreds of people had gathered in the 300-metre area near Chishoti, where the flash floods occurred. 'A batch of pilgrims had just disembarked from their vehicles and were taking a break before travelling on. Several people were sitting at the langar (community kitchen) set up near the nullah, while others had gathered in the ground enjoying nature and waiting for transport. Some were standing on a wooden bridge over a nullah,' he says. Indeed, the area bears evidence of the scale of the disaster. Piles of plates and utensils peek from under the boulders, sludge, and uprooted trees. Mud-caked vehicles and wrecked buildings dot the area, some damaged beyond recognition. According to locals, several people who had parked their cars in the area and journeyed on had come back to retrieve them when the cloudburst occurred. Since the 10-km long road between Gulabgarh and Chishoti village in Paddar was narrow and had nullahs on the way, several pilgrims prefer to leave their vehicles here and take the local transport to Chishoti – the last motorable point to the temple. 'As a result, even those with vehicles could not drive away,' one local says. A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) camp in the area was also swept away in the flash floods. The bodies of two personnel have been found, and searches are currently ongoing for others. According to locals, the casualties could have been higher, but the boulders swept down by the flood prevented the water from entering Chishoti village. This year, the annual Machail yatra began July 25 and will go on till September 5. With this yatra fast emerging as the third major pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir after Mata Vaishno Devi and Amarnath, the Kishtwar administration issued an advisory limiting the number of pilgrims to 8,000/day. Of this, 6,000 had to be registered online, the advisory, issued on July 18, said, adding that remaining would be spot registrations done at Shri Gauri Shankar temple, Sarkoot, the Block Development Office of Gulabgarh and Chishoti. However, details for online registration shows that as of August 15, only five pilgrims were registered online. According to sources, the long weekend from August 15-17 meant a swell in numbers, with Paddar seeing between 15,000 and 20,000 pilgrims on the day of the disaster.
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Climate
- Times of Oman
J-K Kishtwar cloudburst: Death toll rises to 45, over 100 injured; rescue ops on
Kishtwar: The death toll from the massive cloudburst that triggered a flash flood in the Chesoti area of Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, has risen to 45, with more than 100 people injured, officials said on Friday. Kishtwar Additional Superintendent of Police Pradeep Singh told ANI that rescue operations are underway with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, SDRF, Fire Services, CISF, CRPF and the Army on the ground. "45 have been confirmed dead, while over 100 injured have been shifted (for treatment). Many people are still feared missing. We will update as more missing people or dead bodies are found... Ambulance and local people are also working shoulder to shoulder with the police for the rescue operation... 8-10 of the deceased people were identified, and the identification process is going on..." he said. The cloudburst occurred on Thursday in Chesoti village of Paddar along the Machail Mata Yatra route, which had drawn a large number of devotees. In view of the weather conditions and the disaster, Kishtwar Police has set up control rooms and help desks across the district to assist citizens and pilgrims, particularly in remote areas. Families of missing persons have been asked to contact -- District Control Room -- 01995-259555, 9484217492 PCR Kishtwar -- 9906154100, 9103454100, 01995-259193, 100. "Rescue operations continue in Chesoti, Tehsil Atholi, District Kishtwar. *DGP J&K Police Sh. Nalin Prabhat-IPS* is personally monitoring the situation on the ground," District Police Kishtwar wrote in a post on X, also sharing a list of rescued and injured persons as of August 14. J&K Leader of Opposition and local MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma said the incident occurred around 11 a.m. "There was a huge rush here as devotees in large numbers participated in the Machail Mata Yatra. There has been a huge loss...42 bodies have been is a very big disaster...I am hopeful that tomorrow, if the weather allows, rescue operations will be carried out through helicopter services..." he said. Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Kishtwar, Dr Yudhvir Singh Kotwal, said the hospital had received 88 patients so far, with 36 referred to GMC Jammu. "We are awaiting identification for two dead bodies which were brought to the hospital..." he added. One of the injured, Vishal Mehra, who had come from Jammu for the yatra, described the chaos, "We were returning after the darshan and had stopped at Chesoti. A part of our group was a little behind. We were having tea, and as soon as we finished, Army personnel told us to run from there. We rushed, but we got trapped in the debris." "My sister and nephew are missing. There has been a massive felt like a sudden blast, and we could not act in time," he said. "When the cloud burst, we were flown away and I was stuck under a car... My mother was under an electricity pole... Administration took quick action, and the vehicles of the army and the CRPF arrived immediately..." Another victim said.
Scroll.in
3 days ago
- Climate
- Scroll.in
J&K: Toll in flash flood triggered by cloudburst in Kishtwar rises to 45, over 50 missing
The toll from the flash flood triggered by a cloudburst near Chashoti village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district rose to 45 on Friday, ANI reported. More than 50 persons continue to be missing, Senior Superintendent of Police Naresh Singh was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. Rescue operations were underway, Kishtwar Additional Superintendent of Police Pradeep Singh told ANI. He added that the operations were being carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, State Disaster Response Force, fire services, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and the Army. Pradeep Singh told ANI that about eight to ten of those killed had been identified and the process to identify the rest was ongoing. The cloudburst took place on Thursday near Chashoti, which is the last motorable village on the way to the Machail Mata temple, around 12.25 pm, PTI reported. A large number of devotees had gathered in the area for the annual Machail Mata yatra that began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that every possible assistance would be provided to those affected by the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar. 'My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir,' he said on social media. 'The situation is being monitored closely. Rescue and relief operations are underway.' 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. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 14, 2025 Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that he had spoken to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah about the situation in the district. 'The local administration is conducting relief and rescue operations,' he said. 'NDRF [National Disaster Response Force] teams have promptly been rushed to the site. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand firmly with the people of Jammu and Kashmir through every situation.'
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Time of India
3 get life for killing woman during family clash over fight between 2 boys at school
Representative image. BAREILLY: A Lakhimpur Kheri court has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for killing a woman during a family clash that followed a schoolyard argument between two boys. The incident took place in Mohammadi on Oct 30, 2021. Sandeep Singh , Pradeep Singh , and Sunakke were found guilty on Tuesday by the court of additional district judge Anil Kumar Rana. The court imposed a fine of Rs 12,000 on each of them. Police said the violence began after a quarrel broke out between the sons of two neighbours. Five members of one family, including the convicts and two others, allegedly barged into the house of Ranveer Singh and attacked his family. ADGC Kapil Katiyar said, 'Their neighbours — Sandeep Singh, his brother Pradeep Singh, their father Ramkumar , and two associates, Munakke and Sunakke — allegedly barged into Singh's house and attacked his family, killing his wife and leaving him injured.' The woman died after being struck on the forehead with a spade. Her husband, Ranveer Singh, sustained injuries during the assault. Police registered an FIR against all five accused under IPC sections 302 (murder), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly), 452 (house trespass), 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (causing hurt), and 504 (intentional insult). Katiyar said, 'Police filed a chargesheet against all five accused. During court trials, two — Ramkumar and Munakke Singh — died of natural causes. The remaining three were found guilty of murder.'
Arabian Business
08-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Indian Aces 2025: Meet Captain Pradeep Singh and Navneet Mandhani from Karma Realty
Captain Pradeep Singh and Navneet Mandhani are quietly reshaping the contours of real estate in the Middle East. As founders of Karma Realty Developers, their shared philosophy has birthed a unique model: innovation-driven development that marries global strategy with deep local insight. Captain Pradeep Singh's journey began on the open seas. An alumnus of India's prestigious T.S. Chanakya maritime academy and one of the youngest merchant ship captains of his time, Singh's formative years were defined by discipline, precision, and the complexities of commercial shipping on a global scale. Following a distinguished career at sea, he transitioned into entrepreneurship, founding Aethon Marine Services – now recognised worldwide for its leadership in maritime risk management and operations. But for Singh, disruption wasn't confined to the oceans. His strategic foresight led him to the UAE's booming real estate sector, where he saw the opportunity to bring systems thinking, institutional governance, and bold innovation to an industry ripe for reinvention. 'Dubai didn't just shape my business—it reshaped my mindset. This is a city where bold vision is matched by bold execution,' said Singh. Enter Navneet Mandhani, a serial entrepreneur and early-stage investor who brought a product-first lens to development. In 2013, together they launched Karma Group with a vision that was refreshingly radical: to democratise high-quality developments. At a time when Dubai's housing market catered either to the ultra-wealthy or offered uninspired options for the rest, Mandhani pushed forward the concept of 'affordable luxury', design-led, energy-efficient, accessible homes for the working professionals driving urban growth. Together, Singh and Mandhani fused operational rigor with design empathy to shape Karma Developers – a brand founded on strategic selectivity, global ambition, and collaborative execution. Their debut, as Deira's only freehold development, set the tone for an expansion that now spans Cyprus, the UK, Romania, and Australia. In Dubai, they partner with boutique developers to co-create master communities defined by purpose and precision. With over 2,000 keys delivered, Karma's track record stands as a testament to their commitment to quality, innovation, and lasting value. At the core of Karma's success is an unshakable belief that real estate is not just about structures, it's about impact. Their developments exemplifies this ethos: energy-efficient homes, wellness-centric spaces, and holistic design choices that prioritise quality of life without inflating costs. 'Through Karma Group, I have advanced economic growth, innovation, and inclusive development across the Middle East with a project pipeline exceeding 5 million sq. ft. of residential and mixed-use projects. These developments have generated extensive employment in construction, design, sales, and operations, while attracting global capital into the UAE's dynamic real estate sector and supporting GDP growth,' said Mandhani. Mandhani's background in tech investment, including early support for platforms like (acquired by Zoopla), has influenced Karma's tech-first approach, integrating smart systems, green materials, and user-centric planning into every development. 'Disruption isn't about noise; it's about meaning,' says Singh. 'It's not about breaking the mould; it's about building what the world didn't know it needed.' Both leaders are deeply rooted in giving back. Singh supports girls' education and rural community upliftment in India, while Mandhani funds shelters and eye care initiatives across South India. For them, success is not just measured in square feet, but in lives improved. Their recognitions, from Forbes' 100 Most Impactful Real Estate Leaders to Asia One's Greatest Brands, are reflections of a larger story: one where purpose drives profit, and innovation is grounded in empathy. In a region obsessed with what's next, Singh and Mandhani are building what matters now: inclusive, future-ready communities that prove real estate can be both profitable and principled.
