Staff Correspondent
At least 31 people have been killed in a massive landslide near the Vaishno Devi temple in Katra town of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. Authorities fear more bodies may still be trapped under mud and debris. At least 23 injured pilgrims have been rescued and admitted to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Katra.
The landslide occurred on Tuesday afternoon following days of heavy rainfall, striking the Indraprastha Bhawan area on the pilgrimage route to the shrine. Panic spread among devotees as mud and debris swept through the area. Rescue operations were launched immediately by the temple committee and security personnel, later joined by the NDRF and CRPF.
Reasi police chief Parambir Singh confirmed that more than 3,500 people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas, while roads and mobile networks remain severely disrupted. The IMD has warned of continued heavy rainfall for the next 2–3 days, with landslide and flash flood alerts issued for several districts including Katra, Jammu, Samba, Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, and Kishtwar. Considering the situation, the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage has been suspended until further notice.