August 27, 2025

At least 30 people died in a shocking landslide near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, confirmed SSP Reasi Paramvir Singh. The disaster struck around 3 pm near Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari, about halfway through the 12-km trek to the famous hilltop shrine. Rescue work is still going on to find survivors and clear the debris. The weather boss, India Meteorological Department (IMD), posted on X (formerly Twitter) that thunderstorms and heavy rain are still pounding the region. Areas like Jammu, RS Pura, Samba, Akhnoor, and many more are facing heavy rain, strong winds, and even hail. Moderate rain is also reported in places including Reasi, Katra, and Udhampur. The landslide trapped many devotees. Rajkumari Devi, a pilgrim from Motihari, Bihar, told ANI, “We had the Darshan a day before yesterday. Now, we want to go home, but we are not able to as the trains are cancelled. A huge mishap has occurred. We are scared and want to go home.” Another devotee from Champaran said, “We are trapped here due to the rain. We had tickets, but the trains have shut down. We are facing difficulties in reaching Bihar.” Eighteen trains were cancelled because heavy rains caused soil erosion and flash floods in the Chakki river. The railway line between Pathankot Cantt and Kandrori was suspended, adding to troubles for travelers. Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah shared the struggle on X, saying, “Still struggling with almost nonexistent communication. There is a trickle of data flowing on Jio mobile, but no fixed-line WiFi, no browsing, almost no apps. Things like X open frustratingly slowly, WhatsApp struggles with anything more than short text messages. Haven’t felt this disconnected since the terrible days of 2014 and 2019.” He also spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about restoring communication quickly and plans to fly to the region soon, although the Jammu airport was closed. The Vaishno Devi pilgrimage was stopped right after the landslide. The Himkoti route had closed earlier that day because of heavy rain, and the old track was also shut for safety. Night movement has been restricted by Jammu administration as floods rise. Continuous rain has swollen rivers like Sahar Khad in Kathua, damaging a key bridge and disrupting traffic on the vital Jammu-Pathankot Highway. Authorities are watching the situation carefully. For days, strong monsoon showers have battered the Jammu region causing landslides, floods, and major daily disruption. Earlier in August, landslides and cloudbursts also claimed lives—seven died in Kathua on 17 August and at least 55 lost lives in a Kishtwar mishap on 14 August. Omar Abdullah had earlier said the Kishtwar tragedy was due to a cloudburst, not glacial lake bursts, warning rescue could be very hard. The region stays on high alert as nature’s fury shows no signs of stopping, and thousands wait anxiously for good news and safe travels.

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Tags: Vaishno devi landslide, Jammu and kashmir rains, Imd thunderstorm alert, Train cancellations, Omar abdullah, Monsoon floods,