Five Killed, 14 Injured As Landslide Hits Vaishno Devi Route

SRINAGAR: At least five people were killed and 14 others injured when a landslide triggered by incessant rain struck the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. Several pilgrims are feared trapped.

The incident occurred around 3 pm near Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari, about halfway along the 12-km trek from Katra to the hilltop shrine. Boulders, rocks and trees came crashing down the rain-soaked mountainside, forcing authorities to immediately suspend the pilgrimage.

“There has been an unfortunate incident of landslide at Adhkwari. Five people have lost their lives and 14 others are injured. Rescue operations are underway,” the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board posted on X.

According to officials, the Himkoti trek route had already been closed in the morning due to heavy rain. The yatra on the old route continued until 1.30 pm before being halted for safety reasons.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as pilgrims scrambled for safety. Kiran, a devotee from Mohali, Punjab, said she was descending after darshan when the landslide struck. “I saw stones falling down and people shouting. I rushed to safety but was injured,” she told reporters from her hospital bed in Katra.

Another pilgrim, travelling in a group of five, said three of her companions were hurt. “It all happened so suddenly. We barely managed to escape,” she recalled.

Three days of continuous downpour have disrupted normal life across several parts of Jammu, increasing the risk of landslides in the region.