Landslip Injures 10 on Vaishno Devi Track in J&K

A devastating landslip struck the old track leading to the revered Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district early Monday morning, leaving 10 individuals injured, including five pilgrims. The incident, occurring around 8:30 a.m. at Gulshan Ka Langar near Banganga in Katra, was caused by relentless rainfall pounding the region over the past 24 hours.

Officials confirmed that the landslip caused the collapse of a booking office and an overhead iron shelter under the pressure of loosened debris. This led to a suspension of the pilgrimage route until at least 1 p.m. as a safety precaution.

Officiating CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and District Magistrate, Sachin Kumar Vaishya, was on-site overseeing the rescue and debris-clearing operations. “Three persons sustained critical injuries, while seven others had minor wounds. All were promptly taken to medical facilities,” he reported.

Emergency response teams, including SDRF, CRPF, police, shrine board employees, and local volunteers, acted swiftly. An earth-mover was deployed to accelerate the clearing efforts.

Among the seriously injured are Uppan (70) and his wife Radha (66) from Chennai, and Rajinder Bhalla (70) from Haryana. Other affected pilgrims include Leela Raikwar from Uttar Pradesh and Suresh Kumar from Maharashtra. Two locals, Nikhil Thakur and Vicky Sharma, were treated and discharged.

Thakur recounted, “We were in the booking office when we heard loud thuds on the roof. Instinctively, we rushed out. Moments later, stones and debris covered the area.”

The Indian Meteorological Department reported that Katra received 184.2 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, another landslip Sunday night had obstructed the new path near Himkoti, and clearance operations continue there as well.