Shah Nawaz rescues a mother and child; Amit Kumar pulls children from the mudslide
By Imran Shah
Chishoti (Kishtwar),DD: When a devastating cloudburst struck Chishoti village on 14 August 2025, panic and destruction swept through the valley. Yet, in the face of unimaginable chaos, a few men rose above fear and loss, becoming symbols of courage and humanity.
At around 11:40 a.m., a deafening roar preceded torrents of water and mud that tore through the village, reducing hotels, eateries, and a jam-packed parking area to rubble within seconds. Pilgrims on their way to the Machail Yatra and locals alike were caught unprepared, many with no chance to flee to higher ground.
Amit Kumar – The Hotel Owner Who Put Others First
Amit Kumar, a hotelier in Chishoti, lost everything in the deluge — his property, livelihood, and savings. Yet he refused to surrender to despair. Instead, he plunged into the swirling mud and debris to save lives.
“There was no time to escape. Within 20 seconds everything was gone. People could not even run to higher ground,” Kumar recalled.
“I managed to save more than six children and several others trapped in the mudslide.”
Shah Nawaz – The SDRF Jawan Who Became a Lifeline
Amidst the wreckage, Shah Nawaz of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) became the face of humanity.
Risking his life, he pulled a young girl from the debris and rescued her injured mother, who had suffered a fractured leg.
“We had no proper equipment left — most of it was washed away — but we could not stop. By evening, we had rescued over 120 injured and retrieved dozens of bodies,” Nawaz said. His team later constructed a makeshift log bridge to cross the raging nallah and continue the rescue.
Loss and Resolve
Many others, like Rakesh Kumar, returned only to find their homes destroyed. “My parents and children were inside the house when the flood struck. I ran back as soon as I heard, but everything was gone,” he said, shell-shocked.
By the end of the first day, rescue workers had pulled out 48 bodies and saved more than a hundred injured. The operation continues, as villagers and security personnel work side by side, digging through the mud with machines by day and bare hands by night.
In Chishoti, where grief runs deep, the courage of men like Amit Kumar and Shah Nawaz stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of disaster(DD)
