Accident on Mata Vaishno Devi Marg, landslide near Ardhkuwari, 5 people died, 14 injured

Jammu and Kashmir Landslide: The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is continuously worsening due to torrential rains. On Tuesday, a sudden landslide occurred near Ardhkuwari on the Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra route. Debris and rocks fell from the mountain with a loud explosion on this track, which is visited by thousands of devotees every day, creating an atmosphere of chaos.

Many devotees are feared to be injured in the accident andwere immediately taken to Katra hospital. After the incident, the Shrine Board, local administration, and security forces started relief and rescue operations. The NDRF team is also on alert on the spot, and the devotees present on the track are being shifted to safer places.

The travel route is blocked due to a landslide

The road from Ardhkuwari to Bhawan has been completely closed. The movement of devotees on the lower track has also been restricted. The administration has clarified that keeping in view the safety of the devotees, the yatra has been stopped for the time being, and the passengers who are stranded on the way are being taken to safe places.

Relief and rescue work accelerates

In the pictures of the landslide, debris and large fallen stones are clearly visible on the track. Amidst the rain, security personnel were seen evacuating devotees with the help of ropes and barricades. Emergency relief work is going on on the entire route from Katra to Ardhkuwari.

Emergency operations underway

It has been raining continuously in the Jammu division and Kashmir for the last 48 hours. The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for heavy rain for the next 5 hours. There is a threat of landslides and flash floods in Katra, Jammu, Samba, Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, and Kishtwar. Incidents of cloudburst have also been reported in the Lidder area of ​​​​Pahalgam.

Tawi River in spate, danger alert

The water level of the Tawi River in Udhampur has crossed the danger mark, and it has reached even higher than the 2014 flood. The administration has warned that the water level of the river may rise by another 7–10 feet in Jammu city in the next few hours. DIG Jammu Shiv Kumar Sharma said that a flood alert has been issued in the entire Jammu division. People are appealed to not go near rivers and drains and to keep in constant touch with the administration.

CM gave instructions to speed up relief work

Seeing the seriousness of the situation, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has decided to go to Jammu from Srinagar. He has instructed all the district deputy commissioners to provide additional funds and speed up relief and rescue operations.