• Source:JND
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Vaishno Devi Landslide: The search operation to find the devotees buried under the landslide near Ardhkumwari on the pilgrimage route of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi temple was completed by Wednesday. The track and Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan have been vacated. A total of 34 devotees died and 22 were injured after a massive landslide, following heavy rains in the holy city of Jammu and Kashmir.

4,000 Devotees Waiting In Katra For Resumption Of Yatra

The injured were being treated at Narayana Hospital in Katra. After this incident, the pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi has been put on hold. 58 trains in the region were cancelled due to incessant rains. A large number of devotees have started returning home without darshan. However, more than 4,000 devotees were waiting in Katra for the pilgrimage to resume. Till Tuesday, around 20,000 tourists were staying in hotels and guest houses of Katra and Jammu.

ALSO READ: Jammu Rains: Death Toll Mounts To 41 Amid Record-Breaking Downpour; Train Services Disrupted, Search Ops Underway

What Happened On Tuesday

On Tuesday afternoon, a huge amount of debris fell from the mountain due to a landslide near Ardhkumwari and 200 feet of the mountain was badly damaged. It may take some time to repair the travel track. From 8:30 am on Tuesday to 8:30 am on Wednesday, 629.4 mm of rain was recorded in Udhampur and 296 mm in Jammu. This is a record of rainfall in one day in the western Himalayan region. In the last two days, a total of 42 people have died due to heavy rain, flood and landslide in the state.

ALSO READ: Jammu Rains: Over 5,000 Evacuated From Flood-Hit Areas; Schools Closed, Rescue Efforts Underway

Jhelum Reaches Danger Mark

The weather improved in Jammu after Wednesday afternoon, but due to continuous rain in Kashmir, the water level of many rivers and streams, including Jhelum reached the danger mark. Due to this, Rajbagh in Srinagar was flooded. The police evacuated people from there. In Achhabal of Anantnag, river water entered people's houses at many places. During this, two people died due to an electric shock.

Here, seven BSF jawans trapped in a border post near Chenab river in Pargal of Akhnoor tehsil of Jammu were rescued by villagers on Tuesday night, while the body of a BSF jawan was recovered on Wednesday morning. In Wadhwan of Kishtwar in Jammu division, 10 houses were also washed away in the flood caused by cloudburst on Tuesday night.

SDRF jawans rescued 22 people trapped in Lidder river in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. A flood in the Sheshnag drain damaged four building structures in Pahalgam. Apart from Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian and Srinagar, there has been rainfall in Budgam and Ganderbal as well.

Compensation Announced For Families Of The Deceased

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced a compensation of Rs 9 lakh to the family of each devotee killed in the landslide on the Vaishno Devi Yatra route.

CM Abdullah Demands Probe

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who arrived in Jammu to take stock of the flood-affected areas, also announced a compensation of Rs 6 lakh to the family of each deceased. He also asked why the pilgrims were not stopped despite the disaster warning. This should be investigated, he added.

25,000 People Evacuated Safely, Schools To Remain Closed

During the last 24 hours, more than 5000 people have been evacuated from flood-affected areas to safer places in Jammu and adjoining areas. In view of the weather, the administration has directed to keep educational institutions be kept closed in the entire state on Thursday.

Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, said that the roads closed due to floods were opened on Wednesday. Only at some places where debris is lying due to landslides or the road has been washed away, vehicular movement is closed.
(With Jagran.com Inputs)