34 dead in Vaishno Devi landslide; cloudbursts trigger flash floods in Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir

Dubai: A major tragedy struck Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday when a landslide on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine route in Reasi district killed at least 34 pilgrims and left 14 others injured, even as twin cloudbursts, swollen rivers, and relentless rains unleashed devastation across the Union Territory.

The landslide occurred near Adhkwari on the pilgrimage route, forcing authorities to suspend the Yatra until further notice. Rescue teams rushed to the site to evacuate stranded devotees.

Federal Home Minister Amit Shah and J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha expressed shock over the disaster, assuring all possible relief to the bereaved families.

Meanwhile, across the region, the weather turned catastrophic. Twin cloudbursts in Warwan Valley of Kishtwar washed away at least 10 houses, hundreds of kanals of standing crops, livestock, and a bridge.

India's Meteorological Department said the torrential rain had smashed records in two locations.
Jammu and Udhampur recorded their highest 24-hour rainfall on Wednesday, with 296 mm (11.6 inches) in Jammu, nine percent higher than the 1973 record, and 629.4 mm (24.8 inches) in Udhampur - a staggering 84 percent surge over the 2019 mark.

Nearly 40,000 people in the remote twin valleys of Warwan and Marwah were cut off after flash floods swept through villages, forcing many families to take shelter on nearby hillocks under makeshift tarpaulin tents. With phone networks crippled due to multiple fibre cuts in Jammu, Srinagar, and Shimla, distress messages trickled out only with difficulty.

River levels rose dangerously: the Tawi in Udhampur surged to 36.1 feet—13 feet above the evacuation threshold — while the Chenab at Akhnoor crossed the danger mark at 43 feet.

In Srinagar, the Jhelum breached the red line at Ram Munshibagh, prompting authorities to declare a flood.

Water entered low-lying areas of Jammu city, including the railway station parking lot, while highways connecting Srinagar with Jammu, Leh, and Gurez were blocked by landslides and snowfall.

The Jammu District Administration launched a massive multi-agency rescue operation involving the Army, NDRF, SDRF, police, and local volunteers. More than 3,500 residents were evacuated from vulnerable areas.

Relief camps and community kitchens sprang up in Muthi, Satwari, Nagrota, Khour, and other worst-hit pockets. At Kailash Resorts in Muthi, displaced families were housed with langar facilities, while HSS Satwari sheltered 300 evacuees with food and clean water provided round-the-clock.

In Suchetgarh, two families comprising 15 members were pulled from collapsed houses. In Gadigarh, the Army used boats to rescue stranded residents. Across RS Pura, Pargwal, Nagrota, and Khour, hundreds were shifted to schools, mandirs, and community halls turned into temporary shelters.

The floods paralysed normal life. All schools, colleges, universities, and non-essential government offices were shut in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions. Railway services were crippled, with 18 trains cancelled, several others short-terminated, and tracks damaged by soil erosion and swollen rivers.

Authorities appealed for public cooperation. “A flood alert has been sounded. People must stay away from rivers and nallahs. Rescue teams are at work, and safety is our top priority,” said Jammu DIG Shiv Kumar Sharma.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah voiced his frustration over near-total communication collapse, comparing the blackout to the grim days of the 2014 and 2019 crises.

Despite the mounting tragedy, officials stressed the resilience of coordinated relief. Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Minhas credited the teamwork of administration, security forces, and civil society volunteers for ensuring swift evacuations and minimising casualties.

But as the rains show no sign of abating, Jammu and Kashmir continues to stare at its worst flood disaster in over a decade — a calamity marked by grief at the Vaishno Devi shrine, destruction in Warwan Valley and thousands of displaced families struggling for safety.

-- With IANS & ANI inputs