9 Killed, 21 Injured In Landslide At Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Route
The rescue operations are underway as several people were feared trapped.
At least nine people have lost their lives in a landslide at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine route in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Tuesday, news agency PTI reported.
The landslide struck at a point about halfway along the winding 12-km trek from Katra town to the hilltop shrine. The incident near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Ardhkuwari occurred almost two hours after the yatra was suspended at 1.30 p.m. amid heavy rain across the Jammu region.
Nine people were killed when the mountainside literally gave way around 3 p.m. The toll could go up, according to PTI.
Twenty-one of the pilgrims are injured and currently undergoing treatment at a medical facility in Katra. The rescue operations are underway as several people were feared trapped, the report quoted officials as saying, as rescuers scrambled to pull out those buried under the debris.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board asked intending pilgrims to replan their pilgrimage to the revered shrine atop the Trikuta hill once the weather improves.
"A landslide incident has occurred near Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari, some injuries are feared. Rescue operations are underway along with required manpower and machinery," the shrine's board said in a post on X.
This comes amid heavy rain in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district. According to an NDTV report, two people died when their house collapsed, and two others died in flash floods. A cloudburst has also been reported. The district administration has asked people to stay away from riverbanks and remain alert.
Due to heavy rains, major rivers Tawi and Ravi are flowing above the danger mark. In Kathua, Ravi has overflowed at many places, resulting in the flooding of low-lying areas.
The Sinthan Top pass connecting the Kashmir Valley with the Kishtwar district has also been closed. The Srinagar-Jammu national highway has been closed due to shooting stones in Ramban district. Heavy snowfall in Zojila Pass has blocked the Srinagar-Leh national highway.
Helplines have been set up in all these districts, and local authorities are on high alert. The weather department has forecast heavy rain to continue in Jammu.
(With PTI inputs)
