Jammu: After the massive landslide near the Mata Vaishno Devi temple in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, the rescue team has recovered 35 bodies from the debris till Thursday morning. A total of 39 people died in the flash floods caused by rain in many areas of Jammu, including those killed in the Katra landslide.
Officials of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said that so far 35 bodies have been recovered from the debris near Ardhkumwari. So far 22 bodies have been identified. Most of them were from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Officials said that the families of many of them have reached Katra and after completing the legal formalities, the bodies are being handed over to their relatives.
The Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra was suspended after the landslide incident, but was restored on Wednesday evening from the old route. Officials said, “Army, police and SDRF personnel are still engaged in rescue operations. The entire work is being done manually as the use of JCB is not possible at the site.” 20 other people have been injured in this landslide caused by continuous heavy rains, who are being treated in various hospitals. The landslide occurred near Indraprastha Bhojanalaya at Ardhkumwari, midway between the 11 km journey from Katra to the temple, at around 3 pm on Tuesday (August 26).
In addition, four people, including a BSF jawan, died in the floods, taking the total death toll in Jammu and Kashmir to 39.
Record 296 mm rain in 24 hours in Jammu
The Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday that Jammu recorded 296 mm of rain in 24 hours, breaking the 52-year-old record of 272.6 mm of rain recorded on August 9, 1973. The IMD also predicted light to moderate rains with thunder and lightning in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.
Amid incessant rains, the Tawi river, popularly known as Surya Putri, swelled, causing panic among residents of Jammu. The river, swollen by record-breaking rains, inundated hundreds of houses and several hectares of agricultural land, sweeping away buildings and cattle, and displaced over 6,000 people in a single day.
By Tuesday morning, the calm river turned into a raging flood, inundating low-lying areas, especially Peerkho, Gujjar Nagar, Gorkha Nagar and other riverside settlements. “We have never seen the Tawi in such a furious and destructive mood. The calm river was roaring like a lion and people feared it would burst its banks and bury the city,” Shivanand, a priest at a Shiva temple near the river, told PTI.
Peerkho, one of the worst-hit areas, was strewn with mangled vehicles, debris, boulders and uprooted trees. Over 300 people, including innocent children and elderly people unable to walk, were rescued in a frantic rescue operation. But fears remained. Officials said the Army, NDRF, SDRF, police and locals evacuated 5,000-6,000 people from 17 locations. For the first time, the NDRF used boats in Jammu city to rescue stranded people. “I have never seen Jammu submerged in water like this in my life,” said Karam Chand, a senior citizen from Gajansoo.
Officials estimate that 2,000-3,000 houses and several commercial establishments in dozens of areas have been inundated, while livestock losses have also been extensive. The IMD said that Jammu had received similar rainfall almost a century ago, when 228.6 mm of rain fell in 24 hours on August 5, 1926.
Jammu-Srinagar National Highway closed due to landslide
Officials said that the movement of vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for the third consecutive day on Thursday due to several landslides caused by heavy rains in the Udhampur-Ramban area. Due to the closure of the highway, more than 500 to 600 vehicles are stranded at various places along the way. He said that this 270 km long highway, which is the only perennial route connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, has been disrupted due to landslides at several places between Jakheni and Chenani in Udhampur.
A traffic police official said, “The highway is closed for vehicular movement from Jakheni in Udhampur towards Srinagar due to damages at several places between Jakheni and Chenani. Movement of vehicles from Nagrota in Jammu towards Reasi, Chenani, Patnitop, Doda, Ramban, Banihal, Srinagar will not be allowed.” He said that passengers from Katra and Udhampur cities are requested to carry their photo identity cards to prove their identity so that their movement is smooth.
He said that Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel and machines are working to clear the debris on the highway after heavy rains and flash floods on Tuesday. According to the traffic advisory, the Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag highway is closed for vehicular movement. It said that depending on the weather being fine and the road condition being good, and after getting the green signal from the BRO, traffic will be allowed to move regularly on the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri route. Light vehicles will be allowed to move from Sonamarg towards Kargil between 11:30 hrs and 17:30 hrs and heavy vehicles will be allowed thereafter. “No vehicle will be allowed after the stipulated time. The movement of security forces from Srinagar to Kargil will be restricted,” the advisory said.
