30 dead, 14 injured in Vaishno Devi landslide; rescue ops underway
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Jammu: A tragic landslide along the route to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir, has claimed the lives of 30 pilgrims and injured 14 others, officials said.
Following the disaster, the Ministry of Home Affairs has deployed 17 National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) teams to carry out large-scale rescue and relief operations. The National Disaster Response Force, along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), and other central agencies, is actively engaged in relief efforts.
A total of 32 special boats have been airlifted to the affected region to support rescue operations. The Home Ministry control room is monitoring the situation round-the-clock. Rescue teams rushed to evacuate stranded pilgrims near Adhkwari, while the Yatra has been suspended until further notice.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed shock and grief over the tragedy, ordering all possible relief and rescue measures while offering condolences to the bereaved families.
Twin cloudbursts in the Margi area of Warwan Valley in Kishtwar district triggered flash floods, washing away at least 10 houses, over 300 kanals of crops, livestock, and a bridge. Water has entered around 60 houses, forcing families to take shelter under tarpaulin tents on nearby hillocks.
With phone connectivity almost non-existent in the twin valleys of Warwan and Marwah, locals managed to send distress messages seeking immediate rescue and relief assistance. The remote Warwan valley, home to nearly 40,000 people across 50 villages, remains cut off from the district headquarters in Kishtwar. Residents have urged authorities to expedite relief and rescue operations.
Authorities declared a flood in the Jhelum River in the Valley, as water levels were above the danger mark at Ram Munshibagh in Srinagar on Wednesday morning.
In Jammu district, all schools, colleges, universities, coaching/training institutes, and government offices, except those connected with flood relief, will remain closed, the District Magistrate said. Fibre and landline services on state-owned BSNL were also down, causing mobile network outages.
Meanwhile, water levels in all rivers of the Jammu division and the Jhelum River in Kashmir remained above the flood level on Wednesday.
With IANS inputs