Jammu, August 28: At least 13 people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday after days of torrential rain triggered landslips and flash floods, with nine pilgrims among those crushed on the Vaishno Devi shrine route, officials said.
The landslip struck near Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari, midway along the 12-km trek from Katra to the hilltop temple, around 3 p.m., sending boulders and rocks crashing down on devotees. Pilgrimage to the shrine has been suspended.
Separately, three other people were killed in rain-related incidents as swollen rivers submerged low-lying areas, damaging more than two dozen houses and bridges across the Jammu region.
Authorities ordered the closure of schools and government offices, except for essential services, as the Meteorological Department warned of very heavy rainfall over the next 40 hours. Water levels in the Basantar, Tawi and Chenab rivers are at the alert mark, officials said, urging residents to avoid riverbanks and flood-prone zones.
“The situation in many parts of Jammu province is quite serious,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, adding he was flying in from Srinagar to monitor relief efforts. Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and Kishtwar-Doda highways was suspended, while multiple hilly roads remained blocked by landslips or flooding.
The Indian Army has launched extensive rescue operations, deploying ground columns and helicopters in flood-hit districts. In Jammu’s RS Pura sector, soldiers pulled seven civilians, including a child, to safety in Garhi Garh and were working to free 10–12 more trapped inside a building in Shergarh. Students stranded at Sher-e-Kashmir University and a government school in Swahanjana were also being evacuated.
In the Mamun sector, air and ground missions rescued civilians and security personnel trapped by floodwaters and landslides. Seven villagers were airlifted from Kachle to Taragarh school, two from Shahpur Kandi, and 11 Border Security Force personnel from Nikka post. About 50 civilians and nine soldiers stranded nearby were awaiting evacuation. Nearly 70 civilians marooned in Makaura village were ferried to safety using boats, officials said.
Helicopter rescues were also under way in Zainpir Kukkar and Amli village, while rising waters in Nad village forced police to deploy boats for evacuations.
Heavy rainfall has disrupted train services to the region, while dozens of roads remain cut off. Officials said the priority was to secure pilgrims and residents in vulnerable zones as the rains continue.
