A landslide triggered by heavy showers struck the old track of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir early on Monday, leaving a devotee dead and 10 injured and causing damage to infrastructure.
Officials identified the deceased pilgrim as Kuppan Srinivasan, 70, from Chennai. His wife K. Radha, 66, suffered injuries. Officials said a booking office and an overhead iron structure had been damaged in the landslide. The injured pilgrims were rescued after a difficult operation involving civilians and officials.
The yatra to the shrine has been suspended as a precautionary measure. The shrine is one of the most important pilgrimage centres in the country, attracting millions of devotees every year.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board CEO Sachin Kumar Vaishya said the landslide struck at 8.30am, resulting in stones falling on the track. “There is some damage to the track. A rescue is underway. Seven people have suffered minor injuries while three others are critically injured and have been hospitalised,” Vaishya told reporters.
Officials said the incident occurred at 8.30am at Gulshan Ka Langar near Banganga, the starting point for the yatra along the old track. The pilgrims are registered there before heading towards the shrine complex, 12km away.
A rescued pilgrim said several devotees had got trapped in the debris. “We dragged them out with difficulty. Police and other officials joined later,” he said.