"Extremely distressing": President Droupadi Murmu on loss of lives in Vaishno Devi landslide

Murmu shared a post on X, saying, "The tragic incident of the death of several devotees in a landslide on the pilgrimage route to the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is extremely distressing. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the success of the relief and rescue operations."

https://x.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1960616894651588800

Meanwhile, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi yatra has been suspended due to a landslide and heavy rainfall. The death toll of the landslide near the Vaishno Devi shrine rose to 30 on Wednesday, police said. The landslide occurred near Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari cave temple, located on the route to the Vaishno Devi shrine.

"A landslide incident has occurred near Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari, some injuries are feared. Rescue operations are underway along with required manpower and machinery. Jai Mata Di," the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) had said in a post on X.

The landslide and continuous rains also hit railway services in the region. 18 trains were cancelled due to the suspension of traffic on the down line between Pathankot Cantt and Kandrori following soil erosion and flash floods in the Chakki river, officials said.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Vaishno Devi landslide in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra. He termed the incident "saddening" and mentioned that the administration is providing assistance to the victims of the accident.

"The loss of lives due to a landslide on the route to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is saddening. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest. The administration is assisting all those affected. My prayers for everyone's safety and well-being," PM Modi wrote on 'X'.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday termed the landslide "extremely tragic". In a post on X, Shah stated that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams had already been rushed to the scene soon after the incident.

"The landslide incident caused by heavy rains on the Vaishno Devi Yatra route in Jammu and Kashmir is extremely tragic. In this regard, I have spoken with the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Omar Abdullah ji, and the Lieutenant Governor, Shri Manoj Sinha ji. The local administration is engaged in relief and rescue operations to assist the injured, and the NDRF team is also reaching there," he wrote.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed condolences to the families and directed officials to provide immediate assistance to those injured in the accident.

"Deeply distressed to know that an unfortunate landslide triggered by incessant rain claimed the lives of devotees at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. My condolences to the bereaved families & I pray that the injured recover quickly. Directed officials to provide immediate assistance," the LG Office posted on X. (ANI)