Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday visited the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu to meet those injured in the devastating cloudburst that struck Kishtwar earlier this week.

Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring developments and has been receiving regular updates on the tragedy. “The Prime Minister is deeply concerned about the situation in Kishtwar. I had intended to travel to the affected village, but bad weather and a landslide near Pathernaki made it impossible,” the minister said in a post on X.

He added that, since visiting the site was not feasible, he would connect with residents and officials of the affected areas through video conferencing from Raj Bhavan.

“I came to meet the injured at the hospital. I had also wanted to visit Chishoti village in Kishtwar, but a series of landslides blocked the road. Even if I had managed to land in Gulabgarh, travel to the village would not have been possible,” Singh explained in another post.

The Defence Minister said he was briefed by doctors about the condition of the patients, and expressed satisfaction over the medical care being provided. “The victims I spoke to are content with the treatment and are recovering well,” he added.

Singh was accompanied during his visit by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Minister Jitendra Singh. After arriving at Jammu airport, where Lt Governor Sinha received him, the Defence Minister drove straight to the hospital to meet the 16 patients admitted there.

The cloudburst, which hit Chishoti village in Kishtwar on August 14, claimed at least 65 lives and left more than 100 people injured. Another 32 remain unaccounted for as rescue and relief operations continue.