Now Reading: 30 still missing in Kishtwar floods a year after disaster
-
01
30 still missing in Kishtwar floods a year after disaster
A year after flash floods and landslides devastated Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir, 30 people remain missing and are presumed dead. Their families have no bodies to cremate or bury, no…
A year after flash floods and landslides devastated Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir, 30 people remain missing and are presumed dead. Their families have no bodies to cremate or bury, no death certificates, and no closure from the administration.
The disaster struck on 28 July 2023 during a cloudburst that swept away several houses in remote mountain villages. Local authorities listed 42 people as victims initially, but only 12 bodies were recovered. The missing include entire families from hamlets along the steep gorges of the Chenab basin.
The district administration has not declared the missing dead or issued compensation beyond interim relief. Families continue to petition the deputy commissioner for a formal resolution, with no timeline given for any decision.
Indian Opinion Analysis
A missing-person declaration under Indian law requires a seven-year wait before a civil court can presume death, leaving families unable to claim insurance, transfer property or seek closure. The July 2023 Kishtwar disaster followed a cloudburst that triggered flash floods and a landslide, a pattern the Geological Survey of India has repeatedly flagged as high-risk for the fragile Himalayan terrain of Jammu and Kashmir. Local administration data from 2023 showed 38 people went missing in the same district in the preceding decade from such events, with zero bodies recovered. The state disaster response fund covers funeral expenses only after death certification, which these families cannot obtain. The next monsoon season begins in June.
Source: deccanherald.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
