Another tragedy has struck Jammu and Kashmir during the monsoon season, following the cloudburst in Kishtwar. On Wednesday, rescue operations at the Vaishno Devi shrine recovered 28 more bodies from a landslide site, pushing the death toll to 38 from Tuesday’s flash floods and landslides in Reasi and Doda. Most of the victims were pilgrims from various states including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Punjab. The initial report indicated six deaths with at least 20 others injured in the landslide. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has declared ex gratia of Rs 9 lakh to each family that lost a loved one in the tragedy. UP CM Yogi Adityanath has also provided Rs 4 lakh to each of the families of the 11 people from his state that were killed in the Reasi landslide. Former CM Omar Abdullah has questioned the safety measures, asking why the pilgrims were not stopped from traveling the Vaishno Devi route in the face of bad weather. The Lieutenant Governor briefed PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the disaster and the ongoing efforts in evacuation and relief in the Union Territory.
