In an unfortunate incident, two women pilgrims died while a girl sustained severe injuries in a landslide on Vaishno Devi yatra route in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Monday.
Officials asserted that the landslide struck near Panchi, around 3km from Bhawan at around 2.35 pm, and a portion of an overhead iron structure was also damaged in the incident. The victims were en route to the shrine when they were trapped beneath the iron structure as a result of the landslide, the officials added.
Vishesh Paul Mahajan, Deputy commissioner cited preliminary reports, and confirmed that two women had died, and a girl was critically injured in the incident. He added that senior police and civil administration officers quickly rushed to the scene, and further details are awaited.
After the landslide, a rescue operation was launched immediately, and the movement of pilgrims on the track was suspended. This incident follows nearly a year after a tragic stampede at the shrine on New Year’s Day in 2022, which left 12 pilgrims dead and 16 others injured.
In view of the landslide, movement on the route has been temporarily suspended, and the concerned officials have been directed to clear the route. Furthermore, the administration has urged pilgrims to practice caution during the yatra and proceed while considering the condition of the route.
Every year, millions of devotees visit the Vaishno Devi Temple. Earlier in 2023, the temple witnessed a record number of visitors. Notably, 2023 saw the highest number of devotees, with 9.35 million visiting the temple.
As per official data, 9.35 million people visited the Vaishno Devi Temple located on the Trikuta Hills in the Reasi district of Jammu. The previous record was in 2013, with 9.324 million devotees. The Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Anshul Garg, mentioned that this was the highest number of pilgrims in the last ten years, with 9.35 million visiting the temple.