Jammu/Katra: Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the tragic Katra landslide, which claimed around 29-30 lives, mostly pilgrims on the Vaishno Devi Yatra route. Abdullah questioned why the victims were still on the track despite prior weather warnings and emphasized the need to take urgent action to relocate people living in low-lying and river-adjacent areas.
The Chief Minister highlighted widespread damage in areas such as Samba, Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur, and Doda due to the heavy rains, floods, and cloudbursts. Abdullah stated that lessons must be learned from past incidents, noting that the same section of a local bridge had been damaged in 2014, indicating potential risk zones requiring immediate attention.
On the ongoing disaster response, Abdullah confirmed that he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who assured that the Central Government would provide all possible assistance. He added that there is some relief as rainfall has eased and water has begun receding from low-lying areas, though the full scale of the damage is still being assessed.
