Jammu: 3 pilgrims and 1 other person were killed and 9 people injured in a landslide triggered due to the heavy rains enroute the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir.
CEO of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board Ajeet Sahu told PTI that the landslide occurred on Banganga-Ardhkuwari road around midnight. The debris fell on a shelter where the pilgrims were sitting.
The CEO said that 3 pilgrims including a teenager 5 year old died on the spot and another person was brought dead at hospital.
CEO said that the deceased were identified as 30-year-old Bindu Sahni, Bindu’s son Vishal 5-year-old from Chhattisgarh and 29-year-old Shashidhar Kumar of Banglore and a 32-year-old Sadik of Reasi who was a ‘ponywalla’.
9 people were also injured in the incident, Additional Superintendent of Police, Reasi, Sanjay Rana said.
He said that 7 of them were given first aid and two others were admitted to Katra hospital with serious injuries. Rescue operation was conducted immediately on the spot in the presence of CEO and senior officers.
CEO Sahu said that Ex-gratia is being paid and arrangements for shifting dead bodies are also being made.
Some of the injured were identified as Ved Singh (69), Naryani (58) and Om Parkas (62) of Haryana; Paras (8) and Santosh (28) of Banglore; Suraj Kant Sahni (36) of Chhattisgarh.
The ASP Rana said that the yatra to the cave shrine was disrupted for some hours, but resumed later.
