J&K rain mayhem: 30 dead, several injured in Vaishno Devi landslides; yatra halted as region witnesses widespread devastation, bridges collapse, vehicles trapped

NEW DELHI: At least 30 people died and several sustained injuries after torrential rain battered Jammu and Kashmir’s Jammu region on Tuesday, triggering landslides, flash floods and house collapses across multiple districts. The downpour brought pilgrim movement to the Vaishno Devi shrine to a halt, snapped road and rail connectivity, and forced mass evacuations.Several vehicles lay trapped after a portion of the fourth Tawi bridge in Jammu was washed away. A landslide struck near Indraprastha Bhojnalaya at Ardhkuwari, en route to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district, around 3pm Tuesday, leaving six dead. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board confirmed the fatalities on X and said rescue operations were underway. Authorities suspended pilgrim movement until weather clears. Three youths from Rajasthan’s Dholpur district, Yash Garg, Pranshu Mittal and Shiv Bansal, went missing after being swept away while returning from the shrine. In Doda district, four deaths were reported as swollen rivers swept away houses and footbridges. “So far, four deaths have been reported across the district, two in Bhalessa, one in Thathri subdivision and one in Bhaderwah,” DC Harvinder Singh said. At least 17 houses, including government buildings, were damaged while three bridges were washed away. With rivers Chenab, Tawi, Ujh, Ravi, Sahar Khad and Basantar in spate, large parts of low-lying areas were inundated. Traffic along the Jammu–Pathankot National Highway was suspended near Vijaypur in Samba after a pillar of the Devak river bridge collapsed. “We have stopped traffic from both the Jammu and Kathua sides. Traffic is completely shut on this highway for the time being,” SSP Traffic Rural Jammu Girdhari Lal Sharma said. Hundreds of trucks and cars remain stranded. The Jammu–Srinagar National Highway also remains blocked due to landslides and shooting stones, while inter-district roads including Bani-Basohli, Basohli-Mabanru, Mahappur-Kathua and Qiala Chak-Ramkote were closed at multiple points. A landslide also blocked the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road near Bajri Nallah. Railways cancelled 18 trains as landslides damaged tracks, while mobile and broadband services went dark across large parts of Jammu.Jammu city recorded over 250 mm rainfall in 20 hours, the highest in a decade. The Tawi river in Udhampur was flowing at 36.1 feet — 13 feet above evacuation level and four feet above the 2014 floods record. In Jammu city, the river touched 34 feet, a foot higher than the 2014 peak. The Basanter river in Samba, Devak river in Kathua, and Tarnah river near Panjtirthi also crossed danger marks, prompting fresh evacuation advisories. More than 3,500 residents were evacuated to safer areas in Jammu district alone, officials said. Relief camps were set up at multiple sites, with the Youth Hostel in Jammu serving as a major shelter. Community kitchens in Muthi and Satwari are providing meals, while medical teams have been stationed at all major relief centres. Deputy Commissioner Jammu Rakesh Minhas said restoring power, water supply and clearing debris on highways were top priorities. “The situation is being continuously monitored, with further updates to be issued as the response progresses,” he said. The Army dispatched three relief columns — one to Ardhkuwari, another to the Katra–Thakra Kot road, and a third to Jaurian. NDRF and SDRF teams are engaged in rescue operations across the worst-hit pockets of Reasi, Doda, Samba and Jammu. Union home minister Amit Shah described the Vaishno Devi landslide as “extremely tragic” and said NDRF teams were being rushed to the shrine route. Shah said he had spoken to CM Omar Abdullah and LG Manoj Sinha, assuring all central help. Abdullah, in turn, posted that he had briefed Shah about the widespread damage and disruption. “I hope to be able to get there on the first flight tomorrow,” he said, regretting that Jammu airport had been shut due to the weather. Authorities have closed schools, colleges and government offices (except essential services) across several districts for Wednesday and warned of more heavy rainfall in the coming days.