A massive landslide struck the old track to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, leaving at least 10 persons including five pilgrims, injured, officials said. Officials said a booking office and an overhead iron structure caved in under the weight of the landslide, triggered by heavy rains which lashed Katra town, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the shrine atop Trikuta hills, they said. The yatra to the shrine has been suspended till 1 pm as a precautionary measure. The incident occurred around 8.30 am at Gulshan Ka Langar near Banganga, the starting point for the yatra where mostly pony riders gather along the old track and register before taking the pilgrims to the cave shrine, 12 km from the town. The landslide resulted in critical injuries to three persons and minor injuries to seven others. All the injured were rescued and taken to hospital, officiating Chief Executive Officer of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Sachin Kumar Vaishya
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is conducting a research programme to develop a more robust landslide forecasting model and expert system leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), an official said. This was stated by GSI Director General Asit Saha at a workshop held here on Friday to commemorate the first anniversary of the National Landslide Forecasting Centre (NLFC). "There is ongoing research underway to develop a more robust landslide forecasting model and expert system leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)," Saha said. He also reiterated the institution's long-term vision of operationalising a nationwide Regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) by 2030. The DG also said that the GSI would soon begin issuing operational landslide early warning bulletins for Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand. Saha commended the NLFC team for expanding its landslide early warning coverage from 16 districts across six states at its inception to 21 districts across eight states in .
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Lokeshwar Singh, large boulders and debris fell onto homes following the landslide
He said that the government has opened almost all the major roads of these areas and the work of opening the link roads of the disaster affected area were going on war footing
15 people died in cloudburst incidents, 36 were killed in road accidents during the same period, with Solan (6 deaths), Kullu (7 deaths), and Chamba (6 deaths) reporting the highest numbers
With heavy rain pummelling several parts of Himachal Pradesh, the local meteorological department on Tuesday warned of a risk of low to moderate flash floods in parts of seven districts in the next 24 hours. These districts are Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur. The meteorological department also issued a 'yellow' alert, warning of heavy rains at isolated places in the state till next Monday. A total of 225 roads, including 153 in the worst-hit Mandi district, are closed while 163 transformers and 174 water supply schemes are affected in the state, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). Himachal Pradesh has received 203.2 mm of rain against the normal of 152.6 mm from June 1 to July 8. Mandi district recorded 110 per cent excess rain, Shimla 89 per cent and Una 86 per cent during this period. The monsoon hit Himachal Pradesh on June 20. Parts of the state have been receiving moderate to heavy rain since Monday evening. Gohar has recorded
Rain-related deaths included 14 due to cloudbursts, 8 in flash floods, 1 from landslides, and others from electrocution, drowning, and falls caused by weather events
Families sifted through waterlogged debris Sunday and stepped inside empty cabins at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp ripped apart by flash floods that washed homes off their foundations and killed at least 82 people in central Texas. Rescuers maneuvering through challenging terrain, high waters and snakes including water moccasins continued their desperate search for the missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from the camp. For the first time since the storms began pounding Texas, Governor Greg Abbott said there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing. In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said in the afternoon. He pledged to keep searching until everybody is found from Friday's flash floods. Ten other deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, ...
Authorities stated that due to the landslide, the path leading to the shrine of Kedarnath had become unsafe for pilgrims, leading officials to suspend movement along the route until further notice
With the recovery of two more bodies, the death toll in the cloudburst and flash flood-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi has mounted to 13 while search is underway for 29 others missing, officials said on Thursday. Ten cloudbursts, three flash floods and a landslide were witnessed in different parts of Mandi district on Tuesday. Officials said two bodies were recovered this morning. While seven bodies were recovered from Gohar, five were from Thunag and one in Karsog subdivisions of Mandi district. Over 150 houses, 104 cattle sheds, 31 vehicles, 14 bridges and several roads were damaged in the calamities. A total of 162 cattle perished in the calamities, while 370 people, including 316 in Mandi, were rescued and five relief camps have been set up, the state emergency operation centre (SEOC), said. The Manali-Keylong road was blocked following floods in a drain near Solang Nallah and the traffic has been diverted through Rohtang Pass. Men and machinery has been deployed
DM Arya stated that instructions have been issued to the Indo-Tibetan border police and the forest department to construct an alternative route to ensure safe pedestrian movement in the region
As monsoon remained active in Himachal Pradesh, news of rain-induced damages, building collapse, landslides and road blockades poured in on Monday. A five-storey building collapsed in Bhattakufer in the suburbs of Shimla on Monday morning, while several cows from a shed washed away in the cloudburst in Rampur. The building at Mathu Colony on the road to Chamiyana Super Speciality Hospital caved in, albeit without casualties as the district administration, sensing grave risk, had already evacuated the inmates. However, two adjoining buildings were also endangered. "We vacated the building on Sunday night as the land was sliding after Saturday's rain. The building collapsed around 8.15 am on Monday morning," said its owner Ranjana Verma, adding that a four-lane road construction had endangered the structure but no measures were taken to ensure its safety. According to Chamiyana gram panchayat Up Pradhan Yashpal Verma, cracks had developed in the building last year but officials of th
Char Dham Yatra was halted as a precautionary measure following a cloudburst on the Yamunotri route
Several landslides triggered by incessant rains for the last few days occurred along National Highway 10, disrupting traffic movement on the road that connects Sikkim with West Bengal, officials said on Tuesday. Roadblocks have been reported along the 52-km highway stretch, which connects Sevoke in West Bengal with Rangpo in Sikkim, causing inconvenience to travellers, they said. The roadblocks were reported from 29 Mile, Kali Jhora, Seti Jhora, Selfie Dara, Birik Dara, Likhuveer, Melli and Bhalu Khola in West Bengal's Kalimpong district, they said. Officials of the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) said operations related to the clearing of debris and restoration of the road are underway. Heavy machinery has been deployed to clear roadblocks due to multiple landslides, they said. "One-way traffic movement has started in some areas. Traffic jams are inevitable as landslides continue in some areas regularly. The debris will be cleared soon
Two pilgrims were killed after being hit by a landslide that occurred on Monday near the 9 Kainchi Bhairav Mandir on the trek route to the Yamunotri temple in Uttarakhand, officials said. The mutilated bodies of the duo were pulled out of the debris, while one pilgrim from Maharashtra was rescued in an injured condition earlier and hospitalised. Efforts are being made to ascertain the identity of the deceased, the emergency operation centre in Uttarkashi said. The bodies were taken to the primary health centre in Jankichatti, it said. A search and rescue operation by the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, and police personnel is underway at the site, with high-mast lights installed to aid in locating any remaining trapped pilgrims, officials said. The landslide had occurred about 20 metres above the trek route, the centre said. According to initial information, around four pilgrims were feared trapped in the debris of the landslide. Meanwhile, the in
A high-level committee, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has approved Rs 2,006.40 crore in central assistance for Himachal Pradesh for recovery and reconstruction efforts following the devastating floods, landslides, and cloudburst of 2023. The committee, comprising Union Finance and Agriculture Ministers and the Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog as members, considered the proposal for financial assistance to the state from the recovery and reconstruction funding window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), an official statement said. The high-level committee has approved the recovery plan of Rs 2,006.40 crore to Himachal Pradesh, which will help the state in carrying out recovery and reconstruction activities, arising due to damage and destruction occurred during the 2023 monsoon due to floods, cloudbursts and landslides, it said. Of this, Rs 1,504.80 crore will be the central share from the recovery and reconstruction funding window under the NDRF, it added. On
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday said it has deployed its assets as part of its humanitarian-assistance efforts in the wake of devastating landslides in Sikkim, and evacuated 33 people, including two US nationals, from the remote Chaten region. In a post on X, the IAF also shared photos of the rescue operation. "In response to the devastating landslides in Sikkim, #IndianAirForce Mi-17 helicopters rapidly launched #HADR Ops -- airdropping relief supplies, inserting NDRF teams, and evacuating 33 stranded individuals, including two US nationals, from the remote Chaten region. #IAF remains committed to saving lives. #SavingLives #HarKaamDeshKeNaam #HADROps," it said. Earlier in the day, officials said the Indian Army is working relentlessly under extreme weather and hazardous terrain conditions to assist local residents and stranded tourists. Army personnel have established a walkway to north Sikkim's Lachen village, which was completely cut off due to multiple landslides ...
Relentless rain triggers flash floods, landslides across northeastern states; thousands displaced, infrastructure damaged
Five persons were killed in landslides in Assam in the last 24 hours as incessant rain led to floods in six districts, affecting over 10,000 people, an official bulletin said on Saturday. Three districts in the western part of the state remained on 'red alert' and eight more were on 'orange alert', as per Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) data, while rainwaters from upstream areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya aggravated the flood situation in the state. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said all five deaths have been reported from the Kamrup Metropolitan district. Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah had on Friday said that three members of a family, a mother-daughter duo and a niece, were killed in a landslide in Bonda area on the outskirts of Guwahati. He had said that several agencies were working to provide relief to affected people as massive waterlogging was reported from most localities in the city on Friday. Baruah inspected the situatio
A glacier collapse buried most of Blatten after a preemptive evacuation; rescue teams are using drones to find a missing man as fears of flooding loom