Katra/Jammu: Two women pilgrims from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh died while a five-year-old girl was grievously injured in a landslide on the new track to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district on Monday, officials said.
Movement of pilgrims on the Himkoti track was halted following the landslide but the pilgrimage to the shrine atop Trikuta hills continued through the traditional Sanjhichatt route, they said.
Describing the incident as “unfortunate”, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the loss of lives and sanctioned an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the bereaved families.
The deceased have been identified as Sapna (27) of Dhianpur village in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, and Neha (23) of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
In a condolence message, Sinha said, “Extremely pained to learn about the loss of precious lives of pilgrims due to the unfortunate incident of shooting stones on Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine track today. My deepest condolences to bereaved families in this hour of grief.”
“Praying for the early recovery of the injured. I have directed the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the district administration, Reasi, to provide all necessary assistance, as provided in the rule, to the affected families and ensure best care for the injured,” he said.
Officials said the landslide hit the route near Panchi, three kilometres ahead of Bhawan, around 2.15 pm. A portion of an overhead iron structure was also damaged, they said.
The pilgrims were heading for the shrine when they got trapped under the iron structure following the landslide, officials said.
According to them, the landslide was caused by shooting stones in the wake of rainfall over the past few days.
Deputy Commissioner of Reasi Vishesh Paul Mahajan said senior police and civil administration officers have rushed to the spot.
Mahajan too left for Katra — the base camp for the Vaishno Devi pilgrims — to take stock of the situation and to personally know the condition of the injured girl.
Officials said disaster management teams of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) immediately reached the spot of the incident and launched a rescue operation.
The injured girl – Sanvi, a resident of Kanpur — was admitted to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital for treatment.
Her grandfather L Prasad said they were taking a break from trekking to the shrine when police started clearing the track due to a monkey scare.
“Suddenly, there was a landslide and the debris fell on the tin shed which collapsed,” he said.
On New Year’s Day in 2022, a stampede at the shrine had left 12 pilgrims dead and 16 injured.
Cloud burst triggers flash floods in Banihal, one dead
A man was washed away in flash floods triggered by a cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district on Monday evening, officials said.
The incident took place in the Bankoot area of Banihal tehsil, when a cloudburst caused flash floods that washed away a JCB machine along with its operator, they said.
Officials said the cloudburst hit the upper reaches of Bankoot village near Banihal, causing flash floods in the Gagarwah and Bankoot rivulets.
The flash floods also damaged the under-construction Bankoot-Gujjarnar road and swept away machinery including an L&T machine and a JCB machine, they said.
Police, local teams from Bankoot and volunteer teams rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. Following intense efforts, the body of the deceased was retrieved from the rivulet, they said.
The deceased was identified as 28-year-old machine helper Zahir Ahmed from the Manjoos area of Tehsil Khari. He died on the spot. Doctors confirmed his death upon arrival at the hospital, they said.
A case has been registered at the Banihal police station and further investigations have begun.
On August 26, a cloudburst had occurred in Panchayats Kumate, Dhraman, and Halla in Rajgarh tehsil, causing flash floods in the Tanger and Dadi streams, they added.
In the flash floods, three persons, including a six-year-old girl, lost their lives and the search operation to locate the remaining four people continues.
