New Delhi: 30 people, including devotees, have lost their lives due to a mountain fall on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra route. Vaishno Devi Yatra has been stopped. Devotees wishing to visit have been stopped at Katra itself. The situation in Jammu remains bad due to the Taw River overflowing. In view of the continuous rain, the areas adjacent to the Tawi River have been evacuated.
People here have been shifted to safer places. Jammu’s rail and road connectivity with the country has been cut off. Apart from this, three devotees have been swept away after a vehicle fell into Jammu’s Chenani Nala. Two of the three missing are from Rajasthan, and the other is from UP. Flood-like conditions prevail in many parts of Jammu. Heavy rain is still being witnessed.
Warning to remain confined to the home
Due to continuous rain in the areas adjacent to Jammu, people have been advised not to come out of their homes without any reason. All rivers, including the Tawi, Chenab, and Ujj, are flowing above the danger mark. Along with this, Jammu’s road and rail connectivity with the country has also been completely broken. Due to this, the passengers will have to stay in Jammu for now. One lane of the Bhagwatinagar bridge, built on the Tawi River in Jammu, has collapsed.
It has been decided to stop movement on two other bridges built on this river as a precaution. At the same time, traffic on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway was already being affected due to the collapse of the bridge near Kathua. The Devika bridge located near AIIMS in Vijaypur on this highway has also become dilapidated. The road has been completely closed here. A cloudburst also occurred in Doda.
A cloudburst caused havoc in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, yesterday. Many people were buried in the flood and debris from above, in which they lost their lives. The NDRF and the army have worked hard and somehow rescued the trapped people. But the situation remains dire. The Meteorological Department has still issued a red alert in many parts of the Jammu division.