A devastating cloudburst in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, has claimed 38 lives, injured 100, and left 200 missing.
The disaster struck Chashoti village, a base for the Machail Mata Yatra, causing severe damage to homes and vehicles.
Authorities have suspended the pilgrimage and are mobilizing resources for rescue operations amid warnings of further adverse weather conditions.
A massive cloudburst struck remote Chashoti village in Paddar Atholi sub division of Jammu & Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on August 14, 2025. Around 38 people, many of them pilgrims who were either going to or returning back from the Machail Mata temple located around 70 kilometres from Kishtwar town, have been reported dead in the disaster according to authorities.
The cloudburst occurred around 11 am on August 14, flooding two streams— Chashoti Nallah and Dasni Nallah—which then inundated the village that serves as a base camp for the yatra.
Dozens of houses were damaged while vehicles were buried under massive mudslides.
“Over 30 dead bodies have been recovered so far and around 200 people, most of them Machail Mata yatra pilgrims, are still missing. A hundred injured people have been admitted to the sub district hospital in Paddar. Around 20 seriously injured people have been shifted to the district hospital in Kishtwar for further treatment,” Kishtwar-based lawyer Sheikh Nasir told Down To Earth.
The annual Machail Mata Yatra 2025 officially commenced from July 25 and was supposed to end on September 5. Authorities have suspended the yatra due to the cloudburst.
Thousands of pilgrims come on a daily basis to Paddar Atholi and then travel to Chashoti in vehicles. Until some years back, the pilgrims would travel on foot to the Machail Mata temple. But in the last few years, roads have been constructed and enable vehicles to reach Chashoti which is around 25 km from Paddar Atholi. From Chashoti to the Machail Mata temple, the distance is again 15 km, which pilgrims undertake on foot. The authorities in the last few years have been working on constructing a road all the way to Machail as well.
The Machail Mata Yatra is one of the most significant pilgrimages in the Jammu Division of Jammu and Kashmir. This yatra gained popularity in the last five to six years with about 300,000 pilgrims visiting last year alone. This year’s yatra has broken previous records and the number of pilgrims is expected to touch 500,000.
“The large-scale road construction, massive footfall of tourists and pilgrims in the mountains of Jammu & Kashmir needs to be controlled as its consequences are disastrous. What we have witnessed in Chashoti is only a warning sign as this can be more dangerous in coming years. Authorities need to give a deep thought to it,” said Faiz Bakshi, convener of Srinagar-based environmental organisation, Environmental Policy Group.
Meanwhile, the administration is taking all steps to help those in distress.
“I just spoke to the Union Home Minister @AmitShah Sb to brief him about the developing situation in Kishtwar region of Jammu. The news is grim & accurate, verified information from the area hit by the cloud burst is slow in arriving. All possible resources are being mobilised from within & beyond J&K to manage the rescue operations. I’m not going to be speaking to channels or news agencies. The government will share information as & when possible,” Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah posted on his X handle.
“Due to prevailing weather conditions & recent cloudburst-triggered flash floods (esp. in #Chosoti #Paddar), Kishtwar Police & District Admin have activated control rooms & help desks across the district…Citizens & pilgrims are advised to remain vigilant, avoid risky areas, and contact helplines for assistance,” the X handle of the Inspector General of Police, Jammu, posted.
Meanwhile, an alert issued by the Jammu and Kashmir government on the evening of August 14 said, “Heavy rain is most likely to occur over Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Doda, Ganderbal, Jammu, Kishtwar, Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban, Reasi, Udhampur, and Budgam in the next 3-5 hrs. Possibility of cloudbursts/flashfloods/landslides.”