A landslide triggered by incessant rainfall struck the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine route in Katra on Monday morning, injuring at least 10 people. The landslide occurred near a shelter along the pilgrimage path, burying several devotees under debris.
Rescue operations were launched immediately, and all injured persons were shifted to the nearest hospital for medical attention. Among the injured, three are reported to be in critical condition. The Yatra route affected by the landslide has been temporarily blocked for safety reasons. Authorities stated that the number of casualties may rise as more details are awaited.
In a separate tragic incident, a student lost their life while three others were injured after a landslide hit a government school in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, on the same day.
Meanwhile, a landslide near Behaval Bridge and Rolly village on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Udhampur district led to the blockage of the highway’s upper tube towards Kashmir on Sunday evening.
Once again, the Indian Army stepped up to ensure the safety of Amarnath Yatris, showing its unwavering commitment amid extreme weather conditions in the region.
A fresh weather advisory has been issued for Jammu and Kashmir with predictions of more heavy rainfall. Simultaneously, an orange alert has been declared for six districts of Uttarakhand on Monday, warning of heavy to very heavy rain.
According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, the weather office has also predicted lightning accompanied by strong winds in some areas of Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar.