31 Dead, 23 Injured as Massive Landslide Hits Vaishno Devi Yatra Route Amid Record Rains in J&K

At least 31 people have been killed and 23 injured in a catastrophic landslide that struck the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage track in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday morning. The disaster, which occurred near Ardhkumari in Katra, was triggered by relentless and record-breaking rainfall that has battered the region, leading to widespread flooding and devastation. Officials fear that more people could still be trapped under the debris as rescue operations continue in the treacherous conditions.

The tragedy is the second major landslide to hit the shrine route in less than 24 hours. On Tuesday afternoon, a separate landslide killed nine people and injured 21 others, leaving the path to the revered Trikuta hill shrine in ruins. The pilgrimage has been completely suspended.

The entire Jammu region is reeling under the impact of an unprecedented deluge. Jammu city recorded a staggering 22 cm of rainfall in just six hours on Tuesday, leading to severe flash floods and waterlogging. Critical infrastructure has been crippled, with bridges collapsing and mobile towers and electricity poles being swept away “like virtual twigs.” The authorities have been inundated with distress calls, and joint rescue teams from the Army, NDRF, SDRF, and local police are working around the clock to evacuate stranded residents. So far, more than 3,500 people have been moved to safer locations.

The crisis has brought normal life to a grinding halt. All government and private schools in the Jammu division have been ordered to remain closed until August 27, and board exams have been suspended. A massive telecom blackout has hit large parts of the union territory after widespread damage to optical fibre cables, cutting off millions of people and severely hampering coordination efforts.

The Northern Railway has cancelled 22 trains and short-terminated 27 others, while services on the Pathankot-Kandrori line have been suspended due to soil erosion near the Chakki River. Weather experts have described the storm system as “very active,” with cloud tops reaching up to 12 km, and have warned that rain is likely to continue in the hill and foothill areas.