Landslides in Jammu region claim two lives, injure 10; rescue operations underway

Landslides triggered by heavy rainfall claimed two lives and injured ten others on Monday in the border town of Poonch and on the Vaishnodevi shrine track in the Jammu region.

A 5-year-old student was crushed to death and at least four others, including a minor girl, were injured when a rockslide struck the Government Primary School at Kalsian, near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.

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In another incident, Indian Army troops launched a rescue operation after a pilgrim was buried alive and six others were injured when a landslide struck at Banganga, on the old trek route to the Vaishnodevi cave shrine in Reasi district. Two of the injured were women.

Dr PA Khan, Chief Medical Officer of Poonch, confirmed that the student died after a rock rolled down from a nearby hill and hit the school building in Kalsian. The injured students were rushed to the district hospital for treatment.

The deceased student was identified as Ehsan Ali (5). The injured students are Mohammad Safeer (7), Bilal Farooq (8), Aftab Ahmed (6), and Tobia Kouser (7).

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the tragic incidents and directed district authorities to ensure proper medical care for the injured. An ex-gratia amount of ₹1 lakh has been sanctioned for the parents of the deceased child.

Indian Army troops assisted civil authorities in relief and rescue operations at Vaishnodevi. Lt. Governor Sinha, who also serves as Chairman of the Vaishnodevi Shrine Board, monitored the situation closely.

According to officials, the landslide was triggered by heavy rains that lashed Katra town, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the shrine atop the Trikuta Hills.

The incident at Banganga occurred around 8:50 am near Gulshan Ka Langar, the starting point of the yatra where pony riders usually gather along the old track. A rescue operation was launched immediately, and the trapped pilgrims were evacuated to the hospital at Katra. Rescue efforts were still underway at the time of the last reports.

The injured pilgrims have been identified as Rajinder Bhalla (70), Yamuna Nagar, Haryana; Leela Raikwar (56), Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh; K Radha (66), Chennai; Upan Radha (70), Chennai, Nikhil Thakur (26), Tirki Suresh Kumar (66), Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, and Vicky Sharma (37), Dhanori, Katra.

The White Knight Corps of the Indian Army stated on X: “In response to a landslide in the general area of Katra, troops of White Knight Corps were swiftly mobilised to assist in relief and rescue operations in collaboration with civil authorities. Immediate support was provided to the affected locals, showcasing the Indian Army’s unwavering commitment to the people.”

The Army confirmed that rescue and support operations are currently ongoing.