Jammu and Kashmir landslide claims 31 lives, more casualties feared

In the Katra town of Reasi district in India’s union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the death toll from a landslide near the Vaishno Devi temple has risen to 31. Local authorities fear that more bodies may be trapped under the debris.

Paramvir Singh, head of the Reasi district police, told the Indian news agency ANI on Wednesday, “So far, 23 injured people have been rescued and admitted to Katra Community Health Care (CHC) Hospital.”

The landslide occurred on Tuesday afternoon at the Indraprastha Bhojnalaya and surrounding areas along the temple route due to heavy rainfall, causing panic among the pilgrims. Immediately after the incident, the temple committee and security forces began rescue operations, later joined by India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and paramilitary forces (CRPF).

Continuous rain over the past three days has triggered landslides and flash floods across various parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Paramvir Singh said, “Road and mobile network connections have been disrupted in many affected areas. So far, over 3,500 people have been evacuated from risky zones.”

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rainfall continuing across Jammu and Kashmir for at least another two to three days. Landslide and flash flood alerts have already been issued for Katra, Jammu, Samba, Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, and Kishtwar districts.

Considering the overall situation, the Vaishno Devi temple pilgrimage has been suspended. An NDRF official said that ongoing rainfall is repeatedly hampering rescue efforts, but authorities are trying to evacuate everyone to safe locations as quickly as possible.