"It is very sad...": Sohail Khan on Kishtwar cloudburst tragedy

A massive cloudburst on Thursday triggered a flash flood in the Chashoti area of Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, along the route of the Machail Mata Yatra, which led to multiple casualties. Rescue operations are in full swing in the area, and the victims of the tragedy are being treated in the District Hospitals.

While speaking to the media, Sohail said, "Dekho ye to nature ki baat hai and it is very sad..Whenever we think about J&K, it feels really sad...I went there as a child, a long time ago. It's such a beautiful place; we all call it paradise, yet something or the other always happens there. Ye khwaish hai..dua hai sabse ki us jagah ki bhalayi maange...(I urge people to pray for J&K...)"

Union Minister Jitendra Singh visited the cloudburst-affected areas in Chesoti of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, late on Friday evening.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "The government immediately took cognisance of it...PM Modi personally took cognisance of it and monitored it. After that, the equipment was brought here overnight by vehicles. CRPF came here overnight with equipment. Air Force, Indian Army, DG Police, Jammu-Kashmir Police, and today BRO's services have been utilised because they have machines to clear debris from the roads...".

He added, "52 bodies have been recovered, of which four bodies have not been identified, while the rest have been identified. Seriously injured patients have been referred outside, with about 52 patients admitted to Jammu Medical College, and those who are more critical will be referred outside...Efforts are ongoing. There is no shortage from the government's side. Work is in progress."

According to sources, the Indian Air Force will participate in relief and rescue operations, with two Mi-17 helicopters and one Advanced Light Helicopter on standby at Jammu and Udhampur. Operations will commence once weather conditions improve.

Rescue efforts continue in Kishtwar, with local communities and J-K Police providing urgent relief, shelter, and medical assistance. Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, expressed solidarity with those affected by recent natural disasters across India.

"Nature is testing us...Over the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities. Our sympathies are with the affected people," he said from the Red Fort. (ANI)