KISHTWAR, Aug. 14 -- The scale of devastation in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district deepened on Thursday as official sources confirmed that at least 30 people, including two CISF jawans, have lost their lives in the massive cloudburst that struck Chosoti village on the Machail Mata Yatra route. More than 200 people remain missing, while rescue teams battle treacherous weather and terrain to locate survivors.

The cloudburst triggered flash floods, sweeping away houses, roads, and bridges in the remote Paddar region. Large swathes of the last motorable settlement before the shrine now lie buried under debris, with authorities describing the destruction as "widespread and severe."

Officials said 100 people have been injured, including 3...