During the pilgrimage to Machail Mata Temple in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, a flash flood in a small village claimed the lives of at least 33 people, most of whom were devotees. It's reported that a cloudburst in the mountains triggered this flooding.
Mud-filled floodwaters engulfed Chashoti village, a site where pilgrims had set up temporary camps and homes. The village is located about 8 km from the temple, situated at an altitude of approximately 8,000 feet above sea level.
Source: aajtak
Among the deceased are two personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The pilgrimage began on July 25 from the town of Gulabgarh, covering a distance of approximately 17 km so far. Over 220 people are reported missing. India Today's open-source intelligence (OSINT) team analyzed videos of the flash flood and mapped the pilgrimage route using satellite imagery.
Source: aajtak
The Machail Mata temple is approximately 306 km from Jammu—120 km to Batote, 121 km to Kishtwar, and 65 km via Atholi to Gulabgarh. Pilgrims trek about 25 km by foot from Gulabgarh to the temple.
Rescue Operations
Source: aajtak
The state and national disaster response teams, along with police, have launched a substantial relief and rescue operation. Three helipads are situated around the incident site, the nearest being just 5 km away, but adverse weather has hampered helicopter assistance. Medium-resolution satellite images captured at 11 AM this morning show the entire area from Paddar to Machail covered with dense cloud cover.
Suspected Cloudburst
Source: aajtak
Similar to events in Uttarakhand's Dharali, a suspected cloudburst in Chashoti is under investigation, though official confirmation is pending. Cloudbursts are increasingly common in the nation's mountainous regions. When moisture-laden air ascends, mountains elevate it even higher, causing sudden cooling and condensation. Warm, heavy air rising from below collides with cold air above, generating strong upward air currents. Within minutes, clouds burst, and intense local rain quickly inundates the area.
The interplay of warm and cold air, strong upward air currents (convection), and high moisture in the air at altitude can also contribute to cloudbursts. Discussing the Chashoti flash flood, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) President Farooq Abdullah urged the Prime Minister to address global warming's serious implications, highlighting that it has become prevalent in mountainous areas and calling for solutions to tackle this challenge during such a tough time.
