Kishtwar Disaster Day: Toll reaches 65, hopes fading for families of 70 missing
As the searches to evacuate survivors and trace missing persons in disaster-struck Chisoti village of Kishtwar entered the third day, the rescue teams on Saturday found them racing against time amid persisting hopes of families to find their loved ones, still breathing under mounds of deluge or somewhere else.
The official count of dead reached 65 while 50 bodies have been identified and handed over to their Next of Kin.
The number of injured continued to swing between 100 to 150 under treatment in Jammu, Kishtwar, Padder, and elsewhere, while those with minor injuries were discharged.
Around 70 persons, including children, were still reported to be missing, maximum from Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts, as the majority of the pilgrims were locals from the Jammu division.
The missing persons also included a CISF soldier, while a few persons were from Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
As time was passing, the distraught families were losing their patience.
This angst found its manifestation also during the visit of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as they narrated their tales of woes; their unending wait to see their near and dear ones – alive or dead, two days after the tragedy.
They were not mincing words in conveying that the VVIP visits, including those of public representatives, were somehow hampering the rescue operations.
However, on the ground, the personnel of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), joined by local volunteers, remained engaged in a synergised search and rescue operation, despite unfavourable conditions and mounting pressure.
Around 170 people, including those with critical injuries, have been rescued.
Officials said that big boulders were blasted using explosives to speed up relief and rescue operations, as it was becoming extremely difficult to tackle them (boulders) with JCB machines or other machinery.
Dog squads were also being used in search operations.
Senior officers of the civil administration, J&K Police, and Army are camping there or making frequent visits to supervise operations.
They included Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo; Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat; GOC Delta Force; DIG CISF; Divisional Commissioner Jammu, and Inspector General of Police, Jammu.
Meanwhile, the bodies and survivors, including the injured, are continuing to reach different districts of the region, including Jammu, with their horrific stories and some with miracle moments.
IGP Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti and Divisional Commissioner Jammu, who, along with DC Kishtwar and SSP Kishtwar, were camping there to monitor relief and rescue operation, have assured the locals of full support, prioritising the safety of women, children, and elderly besides timely relief.
A delegation of the BJP led by its J&K President Sat Sharma reached the site of the disaster, where their local MLAs Sunil Kumar Sharma and Shagun Parihar were already present to review ongoing operations.
The party also dispatched essentials there to facilitate locals and stranded people.
Meanwhile, in Jammu, the Government Medical College Hospital Jammu, which received a major chunk of the injured, was providing them with critical care.
According to GMC Jammu Principal Dr Ashutosh Gupta, on August 14 night, GMC Jammu received 66 critical patients.
“On the same night, around 25 major surgeries were performed, saving precious lives. The medical care continued the next day, too, when more surgeries were performed. The GMC team ensured that there was no need to refer even a single patient to any other higher institute for want of medical expertise. The GMC administration not only ensured the highest quality medical care, but also ensured a clean and hygienic, and friendly environment for patients and their accompanying family members,” he said.
“There were many patients who were loaded with dust and mud in addition to their injuries. The nursing staff did commendable efforts to clean them up, gave them clean clothes, nursed their wounds, and also gave them emotional support. There were many who were brought alone. There were scared children. There were those who had lost their dear ones. The nursing staff adopted them like their own. One could see a staff nurse personally feeding a scared, injured child, sponging a boy who was all covered in debris,” Dr Gupta said.
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