Katra, 27 August: In a tragic incident, 32 people have died in a landslide caused by heavy rains near the Vaishno Devi temple in Katra in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on Tuesday. Reasi Senior Superintendent of Police Paramvir Singh shared this information.
The landslide occurred near Indraprastha Bhojanalaya in Adhkwari cave temple located on the way to Vaishno Devi temple.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) said in a post on X that there has been a landslide near Indraprastha Bhojanalaya in Adhkwari, some people are feared injured. Rescue operation is underway with necessary manpower and machinery.
Officials said that 18 trains were canceled due to disruption of traffic on the down line between Pathankot Cantt and Kandrori after soil erosion and sudden floods in the Chakki river.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in an X post that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams had reached the spot soon after the incident. In this regard, I have spoken to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ji. The local administration is engaged in relief and rescue work to assist the injured and NDRF teams are also reaching there.
Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and directed the officials to provide immediate assistance to those injured in the accident. Sinha said that officials are monitoring the situation in Jammu division amid heavy rains and urged people to follow the advisory.
After talking to Amit Shah, CM Omar Abdullah also posted on X that he spoke to the Union Home Minister over the phone and briefed him about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially Jammu province where heavy and continuous rains have caused a lot of damage and disrupted normal life.
Efforts are being made to restore phone/data connectivity as soon as possible.