At least two Mata Vaishno Devi-bound pilgrims died and a minor child received injuries when they were hit by a massive landslide on the Himkoti track to the cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Monday.
The incident took place near the Panchi colony in the Himkoti area around 2.15 p.m. The pilgrims were struck by the massive iron bar structure as it crumbled under the weight of the large tumbling stones.
The pilgrim traffic was halted for some time to carry out rescue operations in the area.
The disaster management teams of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) were pressed into action to carry out the rescue operations and shift the injured to the nearby health care center. However, the pilgrimage continued through the traditional route along the track.
According to official sources deceased pilgrims have been identified as Sapna (27) of Dhianpur village in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, and Neha (23) of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The injured girl — Sanvi , a resident of Kanpur — is undergoing treatment in the hospital. Her grandfather L Prasad said they were taking a break from trekking to the shrine when police started clearing the track due to a monkey scare.
“Suddenly, there was a landslide and the debris fell on the tin shed which collapsed,” he said.
On New Year’s Day in 2022, a stampede at the shrine left 12 pilgrims dead and 16 injured.
