'Nothing Short Of Blessing': Man Who Ran Langar Rescued 30 Hours After Flash Floods Hit Kishtwar

Last Updated:August 16, 2025, 23:23 IST

Subhash Chandra ran a langar to serve the devotees of Mata Machail in the region. He was rescued alive from the debris after floods struck due to cloudburst.

J&K floods: Man rescued alive after 30 hours ops (PTI Image)

Amid the devastation caused by a cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar, a man, who had been running a langar for Mata Machail pilgrims for years, was rescued alive after being trapped under the debris in Chisoti village for nearly 30 hours.

“Whom God saves, no one can kill is a saying here. Subhash Chandra, who has been serving devotees for so many years, feeding them selflessly, was protected by Mata herself," said Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma.

He said that it was a matter of bliss that Subhash would be able to set up langar and serve the devotees again.

“The greatest gift of his life is that Mata saved him," he said.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh also mentioned about the man’s rescue during a press conference in Jammu and said, “he came out alive. He was part of those running langar."

He said that when the cloudburst struck and flash floods were triggered in the village on August 14, around 200 to 300 pilgrims were in the langar, and approximately 1,000 to 1,500 people were in the area.

Subhash, who hails from Udhampur, has always seen it as his duty to serve the devotees of Mata Machail. Every year during the pilgrimage, he and his colleagues set up a langar (community kitchen) to feed thousands of tired pilgrims trekking through the tough mountains.

But this year, disaster struck. In the afternoon, flash floods washed away his langar, where hundreds of people were eating daily. Many pilgrims at the site were trapped under logs and debris.

Rescue operations were launched by the Indian Army, J&K Police, NDRF, and SDRF, who cleared debris near the langar on Friday, when they found him alive.

Four bodies around Subhash were recovered from the same spot.

“This is the first time in the operation that someone has been rescued alive. It feels like nothing short of a blessing," an Army official said.

(With PTI inputs)

Ashesh Mallick

Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes...Read More

Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes...

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Location :

Jammu and Kashmir, India, India

First Published:

August 16, 2025, 23:19 IST

News india 'Nothing Short Of Blessing': Man Who Ran Langar Rescued 30 Hours After Flash Floods Hit Kishtwar

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