Landslide disrupts Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, injuries reported
A landslide disrupted the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage in the Ban Ganga area, injuring several devotees.
The Shrine Board is actively clearing the debris, and injured individuals have been admitted to the CHC Katra.
No casualties have been reported, but four devotees with orthopedic injuries were transferred to Narayana for further treatment.
Katra (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 21 (ANI): A landslide occurred in the Ban Ganga area of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi track this morning. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board shared information about the incident and stated that clearing work is ongoing. Injured people were admitted to the CHC (Community Health Centre) Katra after the landslide hit the Mata Vaishno Devi track. Katra Block Medical Officer (BMO) Rashpal Bangotra stated that no casualties have been reported in the landslide incident so far.
He added that this morning, around 8:20 a.m., they received information about the landslide, and a total of six injured devotees reached them within 15 minutes, of whom four were shifted to Narayana for treatment. While speaking to ANI, BMO Bangotra said, "Till now, there is no report for casualties. 6 devotees came to me in an injured state, of whom 4 had orthopaedic injuries, and we have shifted them to Narayana... We got this information around 8:20 a.m., and in around 15 minutes, the devotees came to us."
A family member of the victim said that they were booking tickets to visit the Vaishno Devi Temple when the whole incident happened. He said that at first, stones started falling, and then suddenly, a landslide occurred, which also led to a stampede. He added that many devotees were buried under the landslide.
"We came here yesterday only from the Amarnath Yatra, and we were going to visit the Vaishno Devi temple. In the morning, when we were booking the tickets for the horses, this incident happened. First, the stones were falling, and then suddenly there was a landslide, and there was a stampede, and my mother suffered a leg fracture.
Many devotees were also buried under the landslide...", said the family member of one of the injured. JK LG Manoj Sinha condoled the loss of life in the accident, "I am deeply saddened by the tragic landslide incident at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in which a devotee unfortunately lost his life.
Directed Shrine Board to provide best possible medical care and support to the injured pilgrims. I'm constantly monitoring the situation." On Sunday, a landslide occurred near Dewal Bridge at Samroli village on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Udhampur. The landslide resulted in the blockage of the upper tube towards Kashmir. (ANI)