36 Dead In Jammu After Record Rains, CM Omar Questions Why Vaishno Pilgrims Weren’t Stopped

Torrential rains in Jammu and Kashmir over the past two days have claimed at least 36 lives, with the majority of deaths reported from a massive landslide on the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route. Although showers eased on Wednesday, flooding, destruction of infrastructure, and large-scale evacuations have left the Union Territory reeling.

Jammu Death Toll Rises, Pilgrimage Halted

According to news agency PTI, officials said the death toll from the landslide near Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Ardhkuwari in Reasi district has climbed to 32. The disaster struck around 3 pm on Tuesday, when boulders and debris swept down the hillside, burying pilgrims on their way to the shrine. At least 20 people remain injured and are being treated in various hospitals, while rescue operations continue with fears of more people trapped under rubble.

The yatra to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine has now been suspended on both routes. It was first halted on the Himkoti trek on Tuesday morning, while the old route remained open until authorities shut it in the afternoon as a precaution.

VIDEO | Jammu and Kashmir: Cloudburst in Doda caused havoc on August 26. Visuals show people fleeing amid raging waters.

(Source: Third party)

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/VwQ9VHYCyK

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 27, 2025

Widespread Damage Across Jammu Region

Jammu recorded 380 mm of rain in 24 hours ending Wednesday morning — the heaviest since records began in 1910. Rivers, including the Jhelum, Tawi, Chenab, and Ravi, breached danger levels, flooding low-lying areas in Anantnag, Srinagar, Jammu, and Kishtwar. Authorities confirmed more than 10,000 people have been evacuated, as per PTI.

Flash floods in Kishtwar washed away a bridge and 10 homes in Margi, though no casualties were reported there. The Jammu–Srinagar highway remains closed, alongside several roads blocked by landslides. Rail traffic was also disrupted, with Northern Railways cancelling 58 trains and short-terminating or short-originating 64 others.

J-K CM Omar Abdullah Asks Why Vaishno Devi Pilgrims Weren’t Stopped Despite Weather Warning

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah rushed to Jammu to review relief efforts. He later told reporters, “As compared to yesterday, we have got slight relief today (Wednesday) with the fact that rains have stopped. Water is slowly receding in low-lying areas.” He added that expert teams must investigate recurring structural damage to bridges along the Tawi river, recalling similar destruction during the 2014 floods.

Abdullah further highlighted the danger to residents living near riverbanks, noting, “The houses along the river will always be in danger whenever heavy rains occur. We will have to do something about this.”

He also questioned why pilgrims were allowed on the Vaishno Devi track despite weather warnings. “When we knew about the weather, should we not have taken certain steps to save those lives? … Why were these people on the track? Why were they not stopped? Why were they not moved to a safe place?”

VIDEO | J&K CM Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) inspects the 4th Tawi Bridge in Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu, after it was damaged by heavy rainfall.#jammukashmirrain

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/sBlVxn65hu

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 27, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on X, writing, “The loss of lives due to a landslide on the route to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is saddening. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest. The administration is assisting all those affected.” Abdullah said he had briefed the Prime Minister about the situation and thanked him for deploying NDRF teams, adding that the Centre had assured full support.

Jammu Schools Remain Shut, Communication Restored

In view of the deluge, Education Minister Sakina Itoo announced that all schools and colleges would remain closed on Thursday. Northern Railways confirmed operations would stay suspended due to heavy erosion along tracks. Meanwhile, phone and network services — disrupted for 24 hours due to optical fibre damage — were restored on Wednesday.

The calamity follows a devastating cloudburst on 14 August in Kishtwar’s Chisoti area en route to the Machail Mata shrine, which left 65 people dead and more than 100 injured. Officials say the scale of destruction in Jammu and Kashmir this week has revived memories of that tragedy.