Vaishno Devi trek landslide kills 34, 4 men from Rajasthan
A sudden landslide on the Vaishno Devi trek in Jammu and Kashmir claimed the lives of two brothers and their two cousins from Rajasthan on August 26, 2024.
Triggered by intense rain and flash floods, the disaster struck near the busy Ardhkumari temple area, adding to a total of 34 deaths along this route recently.
The pilgrimage has been paused while rescue teams—NDRF, Army, and police—work nonstop.
Who are the deceased
The men—Arvind (35) and Anil (43) from Sujangarh, plus their cousins Gajanand (32) of Sujangarh and Sandeep (35) from Nagaur—were all shop owners who had returned from a week-long trip to Srinagar and then traveled together to Vaishno Devi.
The landslide hit suddenly at a crowded rest stop during their 12-km trek; sadly, there was no time to get away.
Floods, landslides wreak havoc; searches on
With over 250mm of rain falling in just one day across Jammu, floods and more landslides have caused chaos.
On that same day, five youths from Rajasthan's Dholpur district were swept away nearby; two made it out alive but three are still missing as searches continue.
For now, the Vaishno Devi yatra is suspended until conditions are safe again.