Updated: August 27, 2025 9:28 PM IST 
New Delhi: On Wednesday, at least 31 people were killed and 23 injured after a massive landslide struck the Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra track near Ardhkumari in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, amid heavy rains. Jammu witnessed its highest rainfall on Tuesday between 11.30 am and 5.30 pm, recording 22 cm within just six hours, according to official data. Meanwhile, more than 3,500 residents were evacuated till Tuesday after continuous heavy rains triggered flash floods and waterlogging across the district. All government and private schools in the Jammu division were directed to close till August 27. The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education also suspended all examinations for Classes 10 and 11 that were to be held on Wednesday.
The immediate priority is restoration of electricity, water supply and mobile services, for which the authorities have been working continuously overnight, said Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
The level of river Tawi has receded, but river Chenab continues to flow close to the danger mark.
The immediate priority is restoration of electricity, water supply and mobile services, for which the authorities have been working continuously overnight, noted Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
“Efforts are being made to restore phone/data connectivity as soon as possible. The closure of Jammu airport stopped me & my colleagues from reaching Jammu this evening. I hope to be able to get there on the first flight tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m closely monitoring the situation & in touch with the teams on the ground in the division,” CM Abdullah had said in a post on X on Tuesday.
#WATCH | In a swift and daring operation, the Indian Army Aviation evacuated 22 CRPF personnel along with three civilians who had been stranded near Madhopur Headworks (Punjab) since yesterday. At 6 AM today, Army Aviation helicopters were launched to carry out the rescue despite… pic.twitter.com/XcoLxiHjzf
— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2025
On Tuesday, CM Abdullah had spoken with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to brief him about the devastation caused by the torrential rains.
J&K Struggling With ‘Non-Existent Communication,’ Says CM Omar
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that the union territory is struggling with almost non-existent communication. “Still struggling with almost nonexistent communication. There is a trickle of data flowing on Jio mobile, but no fixed line WiFi, no browsing, almost no apps, things like X open frustratingly slowly, WhatsApp struggles with anything more than short text messages. Haven’t felt this disconnected since the terrible days of 2014 & 2019,” the Chief Minister said in a post on X.
The rains continued non-stop in most parts of the Jammu region over the past 24 hours with almost all water bodies, including Tawi, Chenab, Ujh, Ravi and Basanter, flowing several feet above the danger level.
The pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi shrine has suspended following landslide and flash flood in the region. The winding route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta hill was a picture of devastation.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has swung into action to aid rescue and relief operations in Jammu areas following the landslide. C-130 and IL-76 aircraft are set to take off shortly from Hindan airbase carrying NDRF teams and essential relief material
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