TN pilgrim dead, nine injured as landslide hits Vaishno Devi track

A landslide struck the old track to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, leaving one pilgrim dead and nine others injured, officials said.

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

The deceased, identified as Kuppan Srinivasan, 70, of Chennai, was critically injured, and succumbed to his injuries during the treatment, police said.

They said a booking office and an overhead iron structure caved in under the weight of the landslide, triggered by heavy rains which lashed Katra town, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the shrine atop Trikuta hills.

The yatra to the shrine was suspended as a precautionary measure. However, pilgrimage was resumed via Tarakote Marg. The incident occurred around 8.30 am at Gulshan Ka Langar near Banganga, the starting point for the yatra where pony riders gather along the old track and register before taking the pilgrims to the shrine, 12km from the town.

‘After the incident, three people, including the deceased, were critically injured and seven people got minor injuries. All injured were taken to a hospital, the officiating chief executive officer of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Sachin Kumar Vaishya told reporters. Vaishya, who is also the district magistrate Jammu, rushed to the scene and said a rescue and debris clearance operation is underway. An earth-mover was also rushed to speed up the rescue efforts.