Rivers overflowed – the raging waters destroying bridges, breaking mobile towers and electricity poles like twigs – while boulders, trees and rocks hurtled down slopes across the Jammu region on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people, including six pilgrims struck by a landslide on the Vaishno Devi route.
Relentless heavy rain led to havoc not just in Jammu, which saw flashfloods, landslides and the pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine being suspended, but also in Kashmir Valley.
Infrastructure was severely damaged. Millions were cut off from communication with telecom services collapsing in large parts of the Union Territory.
Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and Kishtwar-Doda national highways was suspended and dozens of hill roads were blocked or damaged by landslides or flashfloods.
At least 18 trains to and from Jammu have been cancelled.
Tragedy on Vaishno Devi Yatra
At least six people were killed when the mountainside gave way around 3pm on the winding route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta hill. A total of 14 people were injured.
The toll could go up. Several people were feared trapped, officials said.
Rescuers scrambled to pull out those buried under the debris near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari.
The landslide struck at a point about halfway along the winding 12-km trek from Katra town to the hilltop shrine.
There are two routes up to the shrine. The yatra had been suspended on the Himkoti trek route since Tuesday morning. It was going on through the old route till 1.30pm when authorities decided to suspend it as a precautionary measure in view of the rain.
Kiran, from Mohali in Punjab, was among those caught in the hail of stones, trees and boulders.
"I was coming down the hill after performing darshan when people started shouting. I saw stones falling down. I rushed to safety but was injured," Kiran told PTI Videos from a hospital bed in Katra.
"We were a group of five out of which three are injured," said another girl, traumatised by her narrow escape.
Many relatives gathered at the hospital and Vaishno Devi base camp in Katra looking for news of their loved ones. Some of the injured have been shifted to the Narayana Hospital in Katra, about 15 km from Jammu.
Three relief columns of the army were swiftly mobilised in rescue and relief operations in and around Katra, the PRO Defence Jammu said.
The Northern Railway has cancelled 18 trains to and from Katra, Udhampur and Jammu railway stations on Tuesday as relentless heavy rain wreaked havoc in the Jammu region, officials said.
“One column is assisting in saving lives in Ardhkuwari, Katra, One relief column reached location of landslide on the road Katra to Thakra Kot and one column providing assistance south of Jaurian. Efforts are on to save lives, provide assistance to needy and take the civilians to safe areas. Close coordination with civil agencies is being carried out,” he said in a post on X.
Tuesday’s devastation comes days after flashfloods triggered by a cloudburst struck Kishtwar district's Chisoti, the last motorable village enroute the Machail Mata temple, on August 14, killing 65 people, mostly pilgrims, and leaving more than 100 injured. Several people are still missing.
In other rain-related incidents across the Jammu province on Tuesday, at least four people were reported killed in Doda district. Three of these slipped and fell into the river, drowning in the swift flowing waters, while one died in a house collapse.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from low lying areas in the region.
Reports came in of damage to public and private infrastructure from the high altitude areas of Kishtwar, Reasi, Rajouri, Ramban and Poonch districts, the officials said. The real picture of the disaster will emerge only after an assessment of the ground situation, they said.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah termed the situation serious.
Rising waters
The deluge has forced nearly all the water bodies in the area to overflow above the danger mark, inundating low-lying areas and prominent roads.
The overflowing Modhopur barrage on the Ravi river in Kathua crossed the one lakh cusec mark, resulting in heavy flooding in Kathua district.
Major rivers such as Taranah, Ujh, Tawi, and Chenab have also overflowed their danger marks, forcing police and civil authorities to make repeated public appeals for people to shift to safer areas.
According to the meteorological department, Kathua district recorded 155.6 mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours ending 8.30am followed by Bhaderwah in Doda at 99.8 mm, Jammu (81.5 mm) and Katra (68.8mm).
The administration issued advisories asking people to stay away from water bodies and landslide-prone areas.
The Meteorological Department held out little relief, predicting sustained moderate to heavy rain with chances of cloudbursts, flashfloods, and landslides up to August 27.
Authorities issued advisories for citizens to avoid water bodies and places with the risk of landslides.
All government and private schools in the Jammu division were directed to close till August 27. The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education also suspended all examinations for Classes 10 and 11 that were to be held on Wednesday.