Rain-Induced Landslide Disrupts Vaishno Devi Pilgrimage

Heavy rains have triggered a landslide blocking the new route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. Authorities confirmed the ongoing pilgrimage is now using the older route.

The landslide occurred near the Satya viewpoint along the Himkoti route. As a precautionary measure against continuous rains and landslide threats, the shrine board had preemptively redirected devotees to the old route. Consequently, both battery car and helicopter services have been halted.

Additional landslide activity has also obstructed the path to the Bhairav temple, further impeding pilgrim movement. Workers and machinery are actively clearing debris from both affected routes. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has ordered the identification of vulnerable spots on the pilgrimage path to mitigate landslide risks and ensure devotees' safety.

(With inputs from agencies.)