2 pilgrims die, 3 hurt in Vaishno Devi landslide

JAMMU: Two women pilgrims died and three others were critically injured when a landslide caused an overhead iron structure to crash on them on the new Himkoti track to Vaishno Devi temple near Panchhi helipad in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra on Monday afternoon.

"Rescue teams retrieved the two bodies from the landslide debris," a shrine board official said.

The deceased have been identified as Sapna from Punjab's Gurdaspur and Neha from Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur.

"After the accident, pilgrims' movement on Himkoti track has been halted. Yatra continues uninterrupted," Reasi Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Paul Mahajan said.

On July 19, 2023, the track was closed in view of landslide threats following heavy rain breaking 43-year record.


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