- According to the board, weather conditions were favorable until around 10 a.m., and helicopter services were operational.
- However, upon receiving forecasts of moderate rain, registrations were immediately halted and the yatra was suspended by noon
- Debris clearing, slope inspections, and road restoration commenced immediately on a war footing.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has emphatically denied accusations that it permitted the pilgrimage to proceed amid weather advisories before the deadly landslide on August 26. The board stated that the yatra was officially suspended before the cloudburst-induced disaster struck.
According to the board, weather conditions were favorable until around 10 a.m., and helicopter services were operational. However, upon receiving forecasts of moderate rain, registrations were immediately halted and the yatra was suspended by noon. Most pilgrims had already descended to safer areas by then. The newer route—considered prone to landslides—had already been closed on August 24 for safety reasons.
The tragic landslide occurred unexpectedly near the Inderprastha Bhojanalaya, which the board maintained was historically one of the safest locations on the old track. The board described the event as a “force majeure,” emphasizing that such an occurrence had never before been recorded in that area.
Following the incident, the Shrine Board’s Disaster Management Task Force, in coordination with local authorities, swiftly launched rescue operations. Injured pilgrims were evacuated, provided first aid, and transported to the board’s hospital in Kakryal, while others were safely escorted back to Katra. Debris clearing, slope inspections, and road restoration commenced immediately on a war footing.
In its statement, the board expressed profound sorrow for the loss of life and reaffirmed its commitment to pilgrim safety. It reiterated that every precaution had been taken based on available forecasts and that the cloudburst was entirely unforeseeable.