At least 30 people have died after heavy rains triggered a landslide near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, confirmed SSP Reasi Paramvir Singh. The tragic incident occurred around 3 pm on Tuesday near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari, roughly halfway along the 12-km trek to the hilltop shrine. Rescue operations are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) posted on X (formerly Twitter) that widespread thunderstorm activity continues across the region. Severe convection, with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and possible hail, is affecting areas including Jammu, RS Pura, Samba, Akhnoor, Nagrota, Kot Bhalwal, Bishnah, Vijaypur, Purmandal, and parts of Kathua and Udhampur. Moderate rainfall has been reported in Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Billawar, Katra, Ramnagar, Hiranagar, Gool, Banihal, and surrounding areas.
The landslide also left several devotees stranded, with many unable to return home due to train cancellations. Speaking to ANI, Rajkumari Devi, a devotee from Motihari, Bihar, said, “We had the Darshan a day before yesterday. Now, we want to go home, but we are not able to as the trains are cancelled. A huge mishap has occurred. We are scared and want to go home.”
Another devotee from Champaran added, “We are trapped here due to the rain. We had tickets, but the trains have shut down. We are facing difficulties in reaching Bihar.”
Officials reported that eighteen trains were cancelled after the down line between Pathankot Cantt and Kandrori was suspended following soil erosion and flash floods in the Chakki river. The landslide and continuous rains have severely impacted railway services in the region.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the communication difficulties in the Union Territory due to the damage caused by heavy rainfall. “Still struggling with almost nonexistent communication. There is a trickle of data flowing on Jio mobile, but no fixed-line WiFi, no browsing, almost no apps. Things like X open frustratingly slowly, WhatsApp struggles with anything more than short text messages. Haven’t felt this disconnected since the terrible days of 2014 and 2019,” Abdullah posted on X.
On Tuesday, Abdullah spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the situation and stressed that efforts are being made to restore phone and data connectivity as soon as possible. He also noted that the closure of Jammu airport delayed his travel, but he hopes to reach the region on the first flight tomorrow while closely monitoring the situation on the ground.
The Vaishno Devi pilgrimage was suspended immediately after the incident. The Himkoti route had already been closed in the morning due to heavy rainfall, while the old track was later shut for safety reasons. The Jammu administration has also restricted night-time movement due to rising flood threats.
Continuous rainfall has caused severe damage across the region, swelling rivers and streams and triggering flash floods. In Kathua, a bridge over the Sahar Khad river was damaged after water levels rose dangerously, disrupting traffic on the key Jammu-Pathankot Highway. Local authorities are monitoring the situation closely.
The Jammu region has been witnessing intense monsoon showers for several days, causing landslides, floods, and major disruption to daily life, particularly in hilly and low-lying areas. Earlier this month, heavy rains caused further tragedies: on 17 August, seven people died and 11 others were injured after a cloudburst in Kathua district, and on 14 August, a cloudburst during the Machail Mata Yatra in Kishtwar killed at least 55 people.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah previously stated on 19 August that the Kishtwar disaster was caused by a cloudburst rather than the bursting of glacial lakes, warning that finding survivors could be impossible.
Inputs from agencies
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) posted on X (formerly Twitter) that widespread thunderstorm activity continues across the region. Severe convection, with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and possible hail, is affecting areas including Jammu, RS Pura, Samba, Akhnoor, Nagrota, Kot Bhalwal, Bishnah, Vijaypur, Purmandal, and parts of Kathua and Udhampur. Moderate rainfall has been reported in Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Billawar, Katra, Ramnagar, Hiranagar, Gool, Banihal, and surrounding areas.
The landslide also left several devotees stranded, with many unable to return home due to train cancellations. Speaking to ANI, Rajkumari Devi, a devotee from Motihari, Bihar, said, “We had the Darshan a day before yesterday. Now, we want to go home, but we are not able to as the trains are cancelled. A huge mishap has occurred. We are scared and want to go home.”
Another devotee from Champaran added, “We are trapped here due to the rain. We had tickets, but the trains have shut down. We are facing difficulties in reaching Bihar.”
Officials reported that eighteen trains were cancelled after the down line between Pathankot Cantt and Kandrori was suspended following soil erosion and flash floods in the Chakki river. The landslide and continuous rains have severely impacted railway services in the region.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the communication difficulties in the Union Territory due to the damage caused by heavy rainfall. “Still struggling with almost nonexistent communication. There is a trickle of data flowing on Jio mobile, but no fixed-line WiFi, no browsing, almost no apps. Things like X open frustratingly slowly, WhatsApp struggles with anything more than short text messages. Haven’t felt this disconnected since the terrible days of 2014 and 2019,” Abdullah posted on X.
On Tuesday, Abdullah spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the situation and stressed that efforts are being made to restore phone and data connectivity as soon as possible. He also noted that the closure of Jammu airport delayed his travel, but he hopes to reach the region on the first flight tomorrow while closely monitoring the situation on the ground.
The Vaishno Devi pilgrimage was suspended immediately after the incident. The Himkoti route had already been closed in the morning due to heavy rainfall, while the old track was later shut for safety reasons. The Jammu administration has also restricted night-time movement due to rising flood threats.
Continuous rainfall has caused severe damage across the region, swelling rivers and streams and triggering flash floods. In Kathua, a bridge over the Sahar Khad river was damaged after water levels rose dangerously, disrupting traffic on the key Jammu-Pathankot Highway. Local authorities are monitoring the situation closely.
The Jammu region has been witnessing intense monsoon showers for several days, causing landslides, floods, and major disruption to daily life, particularly in hilly and low-lying areas. Earlier this month, heavy rains caused further tragedies: on 17 August, seven people died and 11 others were injured after a cloudburst in Kathua district, and on 14 August, a cloudburst during the Machail Mata Yatra in Kishtwar killed at least 55 people.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah previously stated on 19 August that the Kishtwar disaster was caused by a cloudburst rather than the bursting of glacial lakes, warning that finding survivors could be impossible.
Inputs from agencies
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