2 women dead in landslide on Vaishno Devi track in J-K's Reasi

Katra/Jammu, September 2

Two women pilgrims died while a girl was grievously injured in a landslide on the new track to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Monday, officials said.

According to them, the landslide hit the route near Panchi, three kilometres ahead of Bhawan around 2.35 pm. A portion of an overhead iron structure was also damaged, the officials said.

The pilgrims were heading for the shrine when they got trapped under the iron structure following the landslide, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Reasi Vishesh Paul Mahajan quoted the preliminary information report to say that two women have died and a girl has been grievously injured in the incident.

Senior police and civil administration officers have rushed to the spot, and further details are awaited, he told PTI.

Mahajan is heading to Katra -- the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the shrine atop Trikuta hills.

Officials said a rescue operation was launched immediately after the landslide and movement of pilgrims on the track was suspended.

On New Year's Day in 2022, a stampede at the shrine left 12 pilgrims dead and 16 injured.