Jammu, Aug. 15 -- At least 38 people were killed, and several others remain missing after torrential rain triggered a flash flood in a remote village in Jammu & Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Thursday, sweeping away a community kitchen and multiple structures along the route of an annual pilgrimage, officials said. The flash flood, which struck around 12.30pm, sent a barrage of boulders, debris, and mud barrelling through Chishoti village, where a large number of devotees had gathered for the pilgrimage to the Chandi Mata temple in Machail village. Located around 80km from the Kishtwar district headquarters, Chishoti is the last motorable village on the way to the temple and serves as the point where the devotees start the 8.5-kilometre trek to the 9,500-feet-high shrine. The pilgrimage began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5. Close to 130,000 devotees have already taken part in it, officials aware of the matter said, asking not to be named. The pilgrimage has been put on hold. "So far, 38 bodies have been recovered. Over 100 others were injured. However, I can't say anything for now on the missing people. There are chances of more dead bodies being found," Kishtwar district commissioner Pankaj Sharma said. Officials said the gushing water hit a community kitchen, or langar, when around 100-150 pilgrims were having lunch. "The langar was swept away in the deluge along with several vehicles," a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity. The identities of the deceased were not immediately known, but officials said that most of them could be pilgrims. The flash flood also damaged many homes, clustered together in the foothills, and swept away a CISF picket set up near the community kitchen, killing at least two personnel. "Two CISF personnel died in the calamity. It was not immediately known if any of the securitymen are missing," Sharma said. Visuals showed torrents of muddy water, silt and rubble tearing through the steep slopes in the village, which is located next to a rivulet, washing away roads and bringing down houses, shops and other structures. "I heard screams all over followed by a deafening silence. I was stuck at the bottom of a big boulder and the mudslide passed over me. I remained stuck for over three hours before being rescued," Subhash Chander Gupta, head of the community kitchen, said. Another survivor Sanjay Kumar, said the speed of the surging water caught them off guard. "It was raining heavily in the area . Some pilgrims were having food while some had taken refuge inside it to protect themselves from rain. Suddenly, a flash flood carrying debris hit the community kitchen. Everyone was caught totally off guard and the deluge flattened everything that came in its way," Kumar, who was admitted to the Kishtwar District Hospital with broken legs, said. Personnel from the army, Border Security Force (BSF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local police rescued 165 people till midnight, said officials, even as the unceasing rain and treacherous terrain hindered their efforts. "Chishoti is around 15 to 20km from Gulabgarh, and the road is blocked because of the pilgrims' stranded vehicles. Since the road has been snapped, rescuers are covering the distance on foot to help in the search and relief operations," he said. The disaster came nine days after flash floods wreaked havoc in Dharali village of Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, ripping into buildings, power lines and vehicles. Just one person has been confirmed dead in the incident, but 68 continue to be missing. Officials on the ground said that the flood might have been triggered by a cloudburst but Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said they needed more data to ascertain that. A cloudburst, according to IMD , is a sudden, intense downpour of over 100mm (4 inches) of rain in just one hour that can trigger sudden floods, landslides, and devastation, especially in mountainous regions. The local weather office in Srinagar predicted intense showers for several regions in Kashmir on Thursday, including Kishtwar, asking residents to exercise caution. "It's very difficult to say if this was due to a cloudburst. For now we can say it was a massive flash flood possibly triggered by intense rain," said Sonam Lotus, director of the meteorological department, Jammu & Kashmir. In the wake of the disaster, Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has cancelled 'At Home' tea party and cultural events planned as part of Friday's Independence Day celebrations. "The news is grim & accurate... All possible resources are being mobilised from within & beyond J&K to manage the rescue operations," he said in a post on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised full central assistance in the rescue. "My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir. The situation is being monitored closely. Rescue and relief operations are underway. Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need," he posted on X. Union home minister Amit Shah said he was closely monitoring the situation....