‘Bomb Blast From Above’: Eyewitness Recalls Moment Landslide Struck Vaishno Devi Pilgrims

Last Updated:August 27, 2025, 21:53 IST

A palanquin bearer told a newspaper that the landslide hit with a “loud thunderclap” in the sky which felt like a “blast from above”.

Rescue operation underway after a landslide struck the old track to the Vaishno Devi shrine, in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. (IMAGE: PTI)

A palanquin bearer who takes pilgrims up the steep route to the Mata Vaishno Devi temple recalled the exact moment a landslide hit the pilgrimage route. The landslide struck Ardhkunwari, a stop on the route to the hilltop temple in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district amid heavy rain, killing 34 people and injuring 18 others.

Ramesh Singh told newspaper Hindustan Times that everything happened within moments.

“It was like a loud thunderclap or a bomb blast from above. The shed collapsed at once. First, the upper shed fell, then the second one, with a gap of about three or four seconds," Singh was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

“There were about 35–40 people (in the shed). There was a lot of water. Some pilgrims were above, some below. I was injured. I had three boys with me; they went back and managed to pull out four people from there. But soil kept coming down from above," he added.

The incident was reminiscent of pilgrims killed earlier this month en route to the Hindu shrine Machail Mata Mandir. In that incident, pilgrims were scattered in and around the Jasnai nullah and were sitting in setups, collecting food from a community kitchen, popularly known as langar, when flash floods washed them away following a cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar.

The pilgrims were gathered at Chasoti village. The village is a key stop on the pilgrimage to the Hindu shrine Machail Mata Mandir.

Jammu And Kashmir Deluge Relief Signs

On Wednesday, the water level in the swollen rivers across Jammu showed signs of receding, but the flood alert mark was breached by the Jhelum in Anantnag and Srinagar, and water entered several residential areas, prompting authorities to assure residents that they are monitoring the situation and people should not panic.

Massive damage has been reported to public infrastructure, including several key bridges, private houses and commercial establishments, due to overflowing of water bodies and flash floods across the Union Territory, officials said.

Telecom services also got partially restored after remaining suspended for over 22 hours, while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah rushed to Jammu from Srinagar to personally review the situation in the region.

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...Read More

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...

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Location :

Reasi, India, India

First Published:

August 27, 2025, 21:53 IST

News india ‘Bomb Blast From Above’: Eyewitness Recalls Moment Landslide Struck Vaishno Devi Pilgrims

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