Relentless rains in Jammu & Kashmir kill 10; many feared trapped

Jammu/Srinagar: Rivers overflowed, the raging waters flattening everything in their way, and boulders, trees and rocks hurtled down slopes across the Jammu region on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people, including six pilgrims struck by a landslide on the Vaishno Devi route, PTI reported.

Relentless heavy rain led to havoc not just in Jammu, which saw flashfloods, landslides, and the suspension of the pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine, but also in the Kashmir Valley. Infrastructure was severely damaged, with bridges collapsing, mobile towers and electricity poles breaking like virtual twigs.

Telecom services collapsed in large parts of the union territory, leading to millions being cut off from communication and escalating problems, officials said.

Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and Kishtwar-Doda national highways was suspended, and dozens of hill roads were blocked or damaged by landslides or flash floods, they said. Many trains to and from Jammu were cancelled.

The winding route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta hill was a picture of devastation. While at least six people were killed when the mountainside literally gave way around 3 pm, 14 people were injured. The toll could go up.

Several people were feared trapped, officials said as rescuers scrambled to pull out those buried under the debris near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari, officials said. The landslide struck at a point about halfway along the winding 12-km trek from Katra town to the hilltop shrine.

There are two routes up to the shrine -- while the yatra had been suspended on the Himkoti trek route since morning, it was going on on the old route till 1.30 pm when authorities decided to suspend it as a precautionary measure in view of the rain.

Many relatives gathered at the hospital and the Vaishno Devi base camp in Katra, looking for news of their loved ones. Some of the injured have been shifted to the Narayana Hospital in Katra, about 15 km from Jammu.

Three relief columns of the Army were swiftly mobilised in rescue and relief operations in and around Katra, the PRO Defence Jammu said.

“One column is assisting in saving lives in Ardhkuwari, Katra, One relief column reached location of landslide on the road Katra to Thakra Kot and one column providing assistance south of Jaurian. Efforts are on to save lives, provide assistance to the needy and take the civilians to safe areas. Close coordination with civil agencies is being carried out,” he said in a post on X.

This day of rain havoc comes days after flash floods triggered by a cloudburst struck Kishtwar district's Chisoti, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple, on August 14, killing 65 people, mostly pilgrims, and leaving more than 100 injured. Several people are still missing.