Rain batters North; 30 killed in J&K, 16 trains canceled
What's the story
At least 30 people have died after a landslide occurred near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, following continuous heavy rainfall in the region. Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed the incident "extremely tragic" and assured support from the Centre after speaking with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The landslide occurred around 3:00pm on Tuesday near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya in Adhkwari, approximately halfway along the 12-kilometer trek to the shrine.
Rescue efforts
NDRF teams dispatched to spot
In the wake of rainfall, the 6th Battalion of the CRPF has swung into action, rescuing those injured and shifting them to Katra's Community Health Centre (CHC). They also provided help to stranded pilgrims with medical and logistical support. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned residents in hilly and low-lying areas to stay indoors due to widespread thunderstorm activity across Jammu.
Official response
IMD's alert
The IMD said severe convection, accompanied by heavy rain, thunderstorms, and possibly hail, is impacting Jammu, RS Pura, Samba, Akhnoor, Nagrota, Kot Bhalwal, Bishnah, Vijaypur, Purmandal, and parts of Kathua and Udhampur. Moderate rainfall has been recorded in Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Billawar, Katra, Ramnagar, Hiranagar, Gool, Banihal, and the neighboring places. The Jammu administration has limited night movement of people because of mounting flood threats.
Rail disruption
Floods disrupt rail services in Punjab, J&K
Separately, floods have also affected rail services in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. Sixteen trains were canceled, and 10 others were short-terminated due to the floods. Among the canceled trains are those on routes such as Pathankot-Jalandhar City, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Yog Nagari Rishikesh, and others. Services like Sealdah-Jammu Tawi were also short-terminated at various stations owing to weather conditions.
Himachal
Schools close in Himachal
In neighboring Himachal Pradesh, several districts have announced school closures as torrential rains continue to disrupt daily life. The IMD has issued a red alert for Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi for two days, while heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected to continue across Gujarat until the 30th and Rajasthan until the 27th of August.