Boulder hits ashram, narrow escape for 14

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 25

Fourteen persons, including five of a family, had a narrow escape on Monday night when a boulder, which was dislodged by a landslide, hit an ashram where they were staying along the Circular Road here.

The landslide caused extensive damage to the ashram, being maintained by the Shri Chander Gufa Sadhna Kendra Trust. The power infrastructure was also damaged by the landslide, cutting electricity to several parts of the winter capital. The incident took place around 12.45 am when the inhabitants of the ashram were asleep.

The Circular Road remained closed for vehicular traffic on Tuesday and efforts were being made to clear it. The landslide took place a few metres from the protection wall for the historic Mubarak Mandi Complex.

“Around 12.45 am when we were asleep, a major portion of the rock hit our building. We were unable to understand what had happened. We had a miraculous escape. Some members of the trust broke open the door and evacuated us from the damaged building,” said Dinesh Kumar, a ‘sevadar’ at the ashram.

“A total of 14 persons in the ashram had a narrow escape,” he added.

Another ‘sevadar’ Rajesh Kumar said: “The noise made by the rolling boulder scared us. The ashram building has suffered extensive damage in the incident. People had apprehension that the rock would fall anytime but the administration did not take any precautionary measures.”

A senior member of the trust, who wished anonymity, said the entire area was vulnerable to landslides and recurring incidents posed a threat to the historic Mubarak Mandi complex which was in a shambles.