At least 34 people were killed and several others injured after a massive landslide struck the Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra track near Ardhkumari in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, amid heavy rain on Wednesday. Rescue teams continue to search the debris amid fears that more individuals may still be trapped.
Heavy rains wreaked havoc across Jammu and Kashmir, triggering flash floods and landslides. In Jammu, critical infrastructure took a major hit, with bridges collapsing and power lines and mobile towers severely damaged. More than 3,500 residents were evacuated till Tuesday after continuous heavy rain triggered flash floods and waterlogging across the district.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a post on X said he is “still struggling with almost non-existent communication” as heavy rain has disrupted several services in the Union Territory. He added that there is “no fixed line WiFi, no browsing” and apps are opening “frustratingly slowly”. Large parts of the Union Territory are facing telecom blackouts, leaving millions without communication and deepening the crisis, officials said. Infrastructure was severely damaged, with bridges collapsing and mobile towers and electricity poles breaking like virtual twigs.
- Meanwhile, more than 5000 residents were evacuated after continuous heavy rains triggered flash floods and waterlogging across the district. Evacuation and relief efforts are underway with joint teams from the District Administration, J&K Police, NDRF, SDRF, Indian Army and local volunteers.
Additionally, a flood alert was also issued for the Jhelum River in South Kashmir after water levels crossed the danger mark of 22 feet near Sangam.
- According to the authorities, 20 to 30 low-lying localities and several areas in Jammu and Samba have been inundated by flash floods triggered by heavy rain. The administration kept getting distress calls at its control centre seeking evacuation assistance. The soruces informed that C130 and IL76 will be taking off shortly with NDRF load from Hindon to Jammu, carrying relief and rescue materials. Additionally, helicopter assets like Chinook and Mi-17 V5 are on active standby at all nearby bases like Jammu, Udhampur, Srinagar and Pathankot.
Jammu and nearby areas are seeing strong thunderstorms with heavy rain and possible hail. The worst-affected places include Jammu city, RS Pura, Samba, Akhnoor, Nagrota, Kot Bhalwal, Bishnah, Vijaypur, Purmandal, and parts of Kathua and Udhampur. Lighter rain is falling in Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Billawar, Katra, Ramnagar, Hiranagar, Gool, Banihal, and nearby parts of Samba and Kathua districts.
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