A landslide struck the old track to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, leaving one pilgrim dead and nine others injured, officials said.
The deceased, identified as Kuppan Srinivasan, 70, of Chennai, was critically injured, and succumbed to his injuries during the treatment, police said.
They said a booking office and an overhead iron structure caved in under the weight of the landslide, triggered by heavy rains which lashed Katra town, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the shrine atop Trikuta hills.
The yatra to the shrine was suspended as a precautionary measure.
However, pilgrimage was resumed via Tarakote Marg. The incident occurred around 8.30 am at Gulshan Ka Langar near Banganga, the starting point for the yatra where pony riders gather along the old track and register before taking the pilgrims to the shrine, 12km from the town.
After the incident, three people, including the deceased, were critically injured and seven people got minor injuries. All injured were taken to a hospital, the officiating chief executive officer of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Sachin Kumar Vaishya told reporters. Vaishya, who is also the district magistrate Jammu, rushed to the scene and said a rescue and debris clearance operation is underway.
An earth-mover was also rushed to speed up the rescue efforts.
{{/usCountry}}An earth-mover was also rushed to speed up the rescue efforts.
{{/usCountry}}The critically injured, Kuppan Srinivasan, 70, of Chennai, succumbed to his injuries, while his wife K Radha, 66, and a pilgrim from Haryana Rajinder Bhalla, 70, are undergoing treatment at Narayan Hospital, while Leela Raikwar, 56, of Uttar Pradesh was admitted at the community health centre in Katra, the officials said.
Suresh Kumar, 66, of Maharashtra and two local residents Nikhil Thakur and Vicky Sharma were discharged after first aid. “I was inside the booking office when stones started hitting the overhead iron structure and we alerted others and rushed out fearing a landslide,” Thakur said over phone after receiving treatment for his foot injury at the community health centre. He said there was a small group of devotees and pony riders at the site due to the heavy rain.
Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the incident, and said he is monitoring the situation. “I am deeply saddened by the tragic landslide incident at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in which a devotee unfortunately lost his life. Directed the Shrine Board to provide best possible medical care and support to the injured pilgrims. I’m constantly monitoring the situation,” Sinha wrote on X.
According to the meteorological department, Katra town recorded 184.2mm of rainfall over the past 24 hours ending 8.30am on Monday.
Another landslide blocked the new track near Himkoti Sunday night and efforts are ongoing to restore it. In response to a landslide in the general area of Katra, troops of White Knight Corps were swiftly mobilised to assist in relief and rescue operations in collaboration with civil authorities. “Rescue and support operations currently in progress. We serve, we Protect!” the Army’s White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
“While Yatra on the traditional route via Banganga remains suspended pilgrims are now being guided via the Tarakote track after safety clearance,” said a senior official of the shrine board.