Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 6: Tragedy struck Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji pilgrims late last night when a landslides struck at Katra-Adh Kunwari track killing four persons including three pilgrims and a ‘pithoo’ and leaving nine others injured. A woman and her son were killed in the landslides while her husband was injured. They hailed from Drag, Chhattisgarh. Another pilgrim, a child, who was injured in landslides at Bhawan yesterday afternoon, succumbed to his injuries today.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has suspended pilgrimage only on new alternate track from Adh Kunwari to Bhawan from 5 pm to 6 am as it was prone to the landslides and there was weather advisory of heavy rains for the next two days. However, the yatra was progressing smoothly on the traditional and old track from Adh Kunwari to Bhawan via Hathi Matha and Sanji Chat.
Official sources told the Excelsior that despite heavy rains in Katra and 13 kilometers long Katra-Bhawan track, 17,573 pilgrims left Katra, the base camp of the shrine, for Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Bhawan, located between Trikuta Hills at 5200 feet from sea level, till 5 pm today.
Sources said that today and tomorrow, the pilgrims will be registered for undertaking journey to Mata Vaishno Devi ji shrine only till 5 pm in view of adverse weather advisories, which predicted heavy rains for the next two days. The yatra on alternate track from Adh Kunwari to Bhawan will be released during the day till 5 pm for next days and will remain suspended till 6 am. However, all pilgrims, who had left Katra after obtaining ‘yatra slip’ till 5 pm today and tomorrow will proceed to Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan from traditional and old track from Adh Kunwari to Bhawan.
“The yatra to holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji has not been suspended. Only some time adjustments have been made for two days in view of heavy rains amid predictions that rains will continue for two days. While pilgrims will be released from Katra only till 5 pm, they will not be allowed on alternate and new track from Adh Kunwari from 5 pm to 6 am. The yatra on traditional track will continue uninterrupted,” sources said, adding even today (after the tragedy), 17,573 pilgrims left Katra for Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Bhawan.
They said the yatra on alternate track from Adh Kunwari to Bhawan has been suspended only for two nights as this track was prone to landslides and there were weather advisories of heavy rains.
In view of five deaths and nine injuries, the Shrine Board has directed its staff to remain deployed all along 13 kilometers track, both traditional and alternate and immediately shift the pilgrims to nearby buildings, or any kind of accommodation on the route, in case of heavy rains. The staff has been asked not to allow the pilgrims to move or sit on the track, if heavy rains persist.
“The pilgrims were also being issued similar advisories at various places by the staff of the Shrine Board,” sources said.
Sources said at about 11.30 pm last night, landslides struck at Katra-Adh Kunwari track at 4/525 kilometers point, about 1.5 kilometers short of Adh Kunwari with shooting stones and boulders falling on the pilgrims, who were sitting at the rest point.
Three pilgrims were killed on spot while a seriously injured `pithoo’ succumbed to his injuries in the hospital this morning. Nine other pilgrims were injured.
Such was impact of the landslides that part of the track, where they occurred, was damaged
Within an hour of the tragedy, senior officers of the SMVDSB including CEO AK Sahu, Additional CEOs and others besides officers from police and civil administration rushed to the spot and supervised rescue operation in the mid-night itself. The dead and injured were shifted to Civil Hospital, Katra and Super Specialty Narayana Hospital, Kakryal.
The yatra along damaged portion remained suspended for couple of hours and was restored thereafter. The damaged track has been repaired.
Three pilgrims, who were killed on spot in the landslides, have been identified as Shashi Dhar, 28, son of KM Nagraj R/o Bangalore, Bindu Sawhney, 30 wife of Surya Kant Sawhney and her five year son Vishal. Bindu’s husband, Surya Kant Sawhney was among the injured.
A `pithoo’ Mohammad Sadiq, 34, son of Mohammad Sharief R/o Mansa Tanda, Akhnoor was seriously injured in the landslides and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Abhay Kumar, 10, son of Vishaw Nath R/o Yojna, Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh), who was injured in landslides at Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan late yesterday evening, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital today, taking death toll in the landslides to five.
The Shrine Board has announced Rs 3 lakh worth compensation in favour of each of the pilgrims killed in the landslides pending clearance from the insurance companies. The compensation was handed over to the family members of the victims. It has also made arrangements for shifting the dead bodies of the pilgrims to their native towns by air cargo on its own expenses. The bodies have been embalmed at the Government Medical College, Jammu and will be airlifted to their towns tomorrow.
The injured have been identified as Narayani, 58, and her husband Ved Prakash, both residents of Jind Haryana, Ved Singh, 69 of Haryana, Santosh, 28, R/o Bangalore, Om Prakash, 62, son of Jagdish Singh R/o Jind, Haryana and Master Paras, 8, son of Vikramjeet R/o Jind, Haryana,
All the injured have been discharged from Narayana Super Specialty and Civil Hospital, Katra after treatment.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Officer (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh has expressed condolences and sympathies with the pilgrims killed in the landslides. He prayed for early recovery of the injured.
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