NEW DELHI, Aug 27: The death toll in the landslide that struck the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route in Reasi district in Jammu region rose to 34 on Wednesday, with rescuers pulling out more bodies from under the debris. At least 20 injuries have been reported in the incident.
A total of 41 people were killed in rain-related incidents as two days of relentless downpour wreaked havoc in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Record rain in Jammu and Kashmir has triggered landslides and flash floods, causing massive damage to infrastructure as bridges and mobile towers collapsed, and electricity poles snapped. Dozens of key roads were blocked or damaged by landslides.
The relief works picked up on Wednesday after rains subsided. The water level in swollen rivers across Jammu showed signs of receding after 11 am, although the Jhelum river in Anantnag and Srinagar breached the flood alert mark, and water entered several residential areas.
Rescue teams are continuing to dig through mounds of rubble to look for survivors, as the pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine remained suspended for the second day. The landslide struck near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Ardhkuwari, about halfway along the 12-km trek from Katra to the shrine.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah rushed to Jammu from Srinagar to personally review the situation in the region after the rain stopped in some areas. He also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation arising from heavy rains and flooding in the Jammu region.
Abdullah announced Rs 6 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the landslide at Mata Vaishno Devi & other flood-related incidents in past two days in J&K. Rs 1 lakh would be given to the severely injured & ₹50,000 to those with minor injuries.
Northern Railways cancelled 58 trains to and from Jammu and Katra stations, while 64 others were either short-terminated or short-originated at different stations within the division. Six trains had begun departing from Jammu after a day-long suspension, but traffic was halted again due to flash floods and heavy soil erosion in the Chakki river area, according to officials.
Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Sakina Itoo announced that all educational institutes will remain closed across the Union Territory on Thursday in view of the heavy downpour and flood-like situation.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting at the Raj Bhavan to review the rescue and relief operations, restoration of essential services and preparedness of concerned central agencies, according to a statement from his office.
In other rain-related incidents across the Jammu province, at least four people were reported killed in Doda district on Tuesday. Three of them slipped and fell into the river, drowning in the swift flowing waters, while one died in a house collapse.
The Jammu region has been witnessing its heaviest rainfall in decades since Monday night, leading to floods, landslides, damaged bridges and roads, and inundated residential and agricultural areas, forcing many people to move to safer places. Jammu city recorded more than 380 mm of rainfall in less than 38 hours.
(Manas Dasgupta)