- A landslide blocked the new track to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district on Thursday
- Pilgrimage continues smoothly via the old route despite the new track being blocked
- Battery car and helicopter services to the shrine remain suspended due to the landslide
A fresh landslide triggered by rains blocked the new track to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, officials said.
However, the pilgrimage is progressing smoothly through the old route, while both battery car and helicopter service remained suspended, the officials said.
They said the landslide occurred near Satya view point along the Himkoti route at a time when the shrine board had already diverted the pilgrimage to the old route owing to incessant rains and lurking threat of landslides on the new track.
A landslide also hit the track leading to Bhairav temple, disrupting the movement of pilgrims, the officials said.
They said the agencies concerned have deployed their men and machines to clear the debris on both the tracks.
On June 24, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha directed identifying of vulnerable spots along the pilgrimage route and implementing necessary measures to address and mitigate potential risks of landslides and shooting stones, ensuring a safer environment for devotees.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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