7 Die in Himachal, Uttarakhand Landslides; Several Roads Shut

Seven people died in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in landslides, while flood-hit Punjab received another spell of torrential rain on Monday, leading to the closure of all schools and colleges in the state.

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New Delhi: In Jammu and Kashmir, amid heavy rainfall in Katra town, the pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine remained suspended for the seventh consecutive day since a landslide on a yatra route claimed 34 lives last Tuesday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Modi government is committed to ensuring the rehabilitation of those affected by recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir, as he undertook a whirlwind tour of a worst-hit area in Jammu. He was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and senior J&K BJP leaders.

Chairing a high-level meeting at Raj Bhavan to review the latest situation after inspecting the affected areas, Shah appreciated the efforts of all the agencies and said the J&K government carried out the successful rescue operation very quickly.

In Himachal Pradesh, five people, including a 35-year-old man and his daughter, were killed in the past 24 hours in separate incidents of landslides in Shimla district as heavy rain pounded several places in the state.