Katra (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 21 (ANI): Lieutenant Governor (LG) of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Manoj Sinha, has directed the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to provide the best possible medical care and support to the pilgrims who were injured in the landslide that occurred this morning. He added that he is constantly monitoring the situation.

In a social media post on X, the JK LG Office wrote, ' I am deeply saddened by the tragic landslide incident at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in which a devotee unfortunately lost his life. Directed the Shrine Board to provide the best possible medical care and support to the injured pilgrims. I'm constantly monitoring the situation'.

While speaking to ANI on the landslide incident, BJP MLA Baldev Raj said that this incident is not an accident; it's a natural calamity, just like many other states of the country are facing situations like floods right now. He added that only 1-2 of the injured are currently in a serious condition.

MLA Baldev Raj said, 'This isn't an accident; just like many states are facing the flood situation, this is also a part of that... If this shed had not been there, the accident could have been bigger... The first rescue work was carried out by the horse owners here, followed by the police and shrine board officers of Mata Vaishno Devi, who also began their work... Currently, only 1-2 injured people are in serious condition. The shrine board opened the other path for the journey....'.

On the landslide incident, CEO Shrine board, Sachin Sharma, said, 'Around 8:30 a.m., the stone fell, due to which the track has been damaged a little bit. Rescue work is going on... We are carrying out rescue operations in a full-fledged manner, and we are also getting the debris on the tracks cleared.'

A landslide occurred in the Ban Ganga area of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi track this morning. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board shared information about the incident and stated that clearing work is ongoing. Injured people were admitted to the CHC (Community Health Centre) Katra after the landslide hit the Mata Vaishno Devi track.

Katra Block Medical Officer (BMO) Rashpal Bangotra stated that no casualties have been reported in the landslide incident so far. He added that this morning, around 8:20 a.m., they received information about the landslide, and a total of six injured devotees reached them within 15 minutes, of whom four were shifted to Narayana for treatment.

While speaking to ANI, BMO Bangotra said, 'Till now, there is no report for casualties. 6 devotees came to me in an injured state, of whom 4 had orthopaedic injuries, and we have shifted them to Narayana... We got this information around 8:20 a.m., and in around 15 minutes, the devotees came to us.'

A family member of the victim said that they were booking tickets to visit the Vaishno Devi Temple when the whole incident happened. He said that at first, stones started falling, and then suddenly, a landslide occurred, which also led to a stampede. He added that many devotees were buried under the landslide. (ANI)