Heavy monsoon downpours in India’s Himalayan region set off a landslide near the revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, killing at least 30 pilgrims, according to district police chief Paramvir Singh. The pilgrims were on the hillside route to the cave temple when the slope gave way late Tuesday, sweeping many into a torrent of mud and rocks. Authorities immediately halted the Vaishno Devi yatra, cancelled trains serving Katra and launched an overnight search-and-rescue operation for missing devotees. Local officials said scores of pilgrims remain stranded after road and rail links were cut, and hospitals in Reasi district are treating dozens of injured visitors. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the main trauma centre on Wednesday and asked doctors to provide “the best possible care.” The landslide forms part of wider flooding across northern India that has killed about 34 people since Tuesday. The India Meteorological Department recorded 368 mm (14.5 inches) of rain in nearby Jammu, while swelling rivers damaged the Madhopur bridge and inundated low-lying areas in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Schools have been closed and telecommunications services remain patchy as engineers battle landslide debris and high water. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu offered condolences and pledged federal assistance. Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said restoring electricity, water and mobile networks is the immediate priority, with more rain and thunderstorms forecast for Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and adjoining hill states through Thursday.