Twin landslides kill Vaishno Devi devotee, Poonch school kid | India News
JAMMU: Massive landslides struck a route to Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra and a govt school in Poonch on Monday, leaving a pilgrim and a five-year-old student dead in the twin tragedies in J&K’s Jammu region.Authorities briefly suspended the Vaishno Devi yatra after the landslide around 8am in Katra’s Banganga, the starting point for the pilgrimage where mostly pony-riders gather along the old track and register before taking devotees to the cave shrine.The deceased was identified as Uppana (70) from Chennai. His wife K Radha (66) was among 10 other pilgrims injured and admitted to two Katra hospitals where their condition is stable, officials said.“The yatra was suspended on the old track till 1pm as a precautionary measure but is progressing smoothly from the new Tarakote Marg route,” an official said. More pilgrims take the old route through Banganga as it is shorter and has other temples on way to the main Vaishno Devi shrine.Army troops joined the rescue. “In response to the 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 affected locals, showcasing Army’s unwavering commitment to the people,” the Army’s White Knight Corps said in a post on X.Hours later, a giant boulder rolled down the hillside and smashed into Govt Primary School in Bainch Kalsan area of Poonch, leaving five-year-old Ehsan Ali dead and five other children injured. Poonch DC Vikas Kundal sanctioned a compensation of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 each for the families of the injured children.J&K lieutenant-governor Manoj Sinha and CM Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the deaths and ordered proper medical care for the injured.“Deeply saddened by the tragic landslide at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in which a devotee lost his life. The news of the death of a five-year-old child due to a rockslide into the school in Poonch is heart-rending. May God give strength to the bereaved parents to bear this shock. I pray for the speedy recovery of other children,” Sinha posted on X.Omar echoed the grief. “Chief minister has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic landslide at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine that claimed the life of a devotee. He has expressed heartfelt condolences over the loss of a young student in the landslide that struck a govt school in Bainch Kalsan, Poonch,” Omar’s office said in a statement on X.
