At least 30 dead after heavy rains trigger landslide near Vaishno Devi shrine; power, network outage in Jammu

Rescue operations at the site are underway. Debris is being cleared, and a search is on for those who are feared to be trapped underneath, officials said.

The yatra had been suspended on the Himkoti trek route since Tuesday morning, sources told The Indian Express, adding that the victims had taken shelter under an iron shed in view of the rain. After the incident, the Shrine Board decided to suspend yatra on the old traditional route as well till further orders.

Sending condolences to the victims, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, “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. My prayers for everyone’s safety and well-being.”

Meanwhile, bringing brief respite to the people in Jammu city and its outskirts, the rains have stopped, with the weather showing signs of improvement on Wednesday.

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. My prayers for everyone’s safety and…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 27, 2025

However, normal life remains disrupted as heavy rains have resulted in major power outages across Jammu since last night, leaving large parts of the region without electricity. Mobile networks in most areas have also collapsed, adding to the difficulties of relief operations.

Though the water level in rivers–Tawi and Chenab– has started receding, the officials were maintaining alert, and the administration was advising people to stay away from water bodies and rivers.

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. My prayers for everyone’s safety and…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 27, 2025

In a post on social media platform X, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, “Still struggling with almost nonexistent communication. There is a trickle of data flowing on Jio mobile but no fixed line WiFi, no browsing, almost no apps, things like X open frustratingly slowly, WhatsApp struggles with anything more than short text messages. Haven’t felt this disconnected since the terrible days of 2014 & 2019.”

The rain fury prompted the administration to suspend traffic on many roads, including the Jammu-Srinagar and Batote-Doda-Kishtwar national highways. Vehicles were also barred from the Jammu-Poonch highway following landslides at various places.

Likewise, roads between Doda-Bhaderwah, Thathri-Tanta and Dhara-Jai were closed for vehicular traffic following reports of damage to some portions. Seventeen houses and some government property were damaged, while three footbridges were washed away.

In Jammu city, several areas were waterlogged, with water entering residences and shops. Authorities ordered the closure of the government and private schools in Jammu province for Wednesday.