SCRIPT KITSHWAR, INDIA (AUG. 15, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL) 1. HEAVY MACHINERY OPERATING AS EMERGENCY TEAMS WORKING AT DISASTER SITE 2. PEOPLE BEING EVACUATED FROM AREA WITH ASSISTANCE OF EMERGENCY PERSONNEL 3. VARIOUS OF HEAVY MACHINERY AND EMERGENCY TEAMS NEAR DESTROYED HOUSES AT DISASTER SITE 4. VARIOUS OF DEBRIS AND DESTROYED HOUSES 5. EMERGENCY TEAMS HELPING PEOPLE CROSS MAKESHIFT BRIDGEKITSHWAR, INDIA - AUG. 15: Rescue operations have intensified on Friday after a cloudburst disaster in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir left at least 65 people dead and over 100 injured, officials said. "The death toll has climbed to 65, with hundreds still missing," a senior police official told Anadolu. Many bodies have been recovered and identified, while dozens of people were hospitalized for injuries and other issues. The cloudburst, a sudden and heavy downpour, struck the Chositi village near Machail Mata Shrine in the Padder Tashoti area of Kishtwar district, on a Hindu pilgrimage route, triggering flash floods that swept a community kitchen, security outpost, and other structures. “It is a huge calamity, the number of people under rubble is still uncertain, we are making every effort to save lives,” the official added. Earlier, the region's top elected official Omar Abdullah confirmed that many people were missing but stopped short of giving a specific number. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other politicians expressed grief over the incident and pledged full support to the victims. "The situation is being monitored closely. Rescue and relief operations are underway. Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need," said Modi after the incident occurred on Thursday. Several earth-movers requisitioned by the district administration joined the operation to move giant boulders, uprooted trees, and electricity poles to speed up the rescue and relief operation, officials said. Local volunteer Adil Ahmad told Anadolu that about 100-200 people are feared to be still under the rubble. “The numbers may be more as there were over 200 people eating lunch in the community kitchen at that time when the cloudburst hit,” Ahmad said over the phone. Farooq Abdullah, the region's former chief minister, told reporters that he fears there might be over 500 people still under the debris. At least 16 residential houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-meter- (98-foot-) span bridge, and over a dozen vehicles were also damaged in the flash floods, officials said. The Indian military deployed 300 personnel to help with the search and rescue efforts. Some reports suggested more than a thousand people were at the site when the cloudburst hit the village, from where Hindu pilgrims would walk to their shrine. Meanwhile, Pakistan Friday "deeply grieved" the tragic loss and damage caused by the cloudburst in Kishtwar. "Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Kashmiris in this time of distress and reiterates its unwavering support for their resilience in the face of continuing hardships," said the Foreign Ministry.