Landslide Disrupts Vaishno Devi Yatra Amid Heavy Rainfall; Pilgrimages Resume via Alternate Route

A landslide on the Shree Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra route near southern Deori in Jammu temporarily disrupted pilgrim traffic to the revered shrine. The landslide, caused by heavy rainfall in the area, did not result in any injuries.

Pilgrimages have since resumed via an alternate route, with Shrine Board officials closely monitoring the situation at the landslide site.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated areas of Jammu and Kashmir over the past 24 hours. Katra, at the base of Trikuta Hill where the Vaishno Devi shrine is located, received 13 cm of rainfall. The IMD forecasts continued rainfall across the Jammu division until August 16.

Earlier today, a cloudburst in Bandipora district caused a flash flood, inundating several areas, though no casualties have been reported.

The Srinagar Meteorological Centre had issued an advisory for light to moderate rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir, predicting similar conditions through the early morning of August 16-20.

The IMD expects widespread light to moderate rainfall over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and scattered to fairly widespread rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan over the next four to five days.

Isolated heavy rainfall is anticipated over Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh, and East Rajasthan on August 14 and 15. The Jammu division is expected to experience similar weather from August 14 to 16. Himachal Pradesh is forecasted to see heavy rainfall from August 14 to 18, while Uttarakhand might experience intermittent showers from August 14 to 20. East Rajasthan is also expected to face isolated very heavy rainfall on August 14.