Jammu, Aug 29: Heavy rain lashed Katra region on Friday as the pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine remained suspended for the fourth consecutive day following a recent landslide, which claimed 34 lives and left 20 others injured.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), which manages the Yatra, suspended the pilgrimage on Tuesday until further orders.
“Inclement weather conditions still persist, so a decision has been taken to continue the suspension of the Yatra in view of pilgrim safety,” an official said.
Katra and Trikuta hills, on which the Vaishno Devi Shrine is located, have been witnessing heavy rain since Friday morning. The downpour didn’t stop till reports last came in.
The landslide triggered by a cloudburst struck the pilgrim route to the shrine at Adhkuwari in the Trikuta hills on August 26, killing 34 people and injuring 20.
The Shrine Board has refuted allegations of allowing the Yatra to proceed by disregarding weather advisories and at the cost of pilgrim safety, claiming the pilgrimage was suspended at noon on August 26 ahead of the cloudburst that triggered the landslide.
“The Yatra on this track was suspended by 12 noon on August 26 upon issuance of the specific weather advisory,” it said in a statement.
Pilgrims waiting for the Yatra to resume, meanwhile, urged the SMVDSB to take urgent measures to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
“The painful incident should not be repeated, and no one else should suffer such a tragedy. The shrine authorities should take this matter seriously and see what measures are needed,” Santosh Singh, a pilgrim from Punjab, said.