J&K: 12 dead in stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra; high-level inquiry ordered

Devotees usually trek to the hilltop shrine from the Katra base camp, a distance of nearly 13 km, while some reach there by helicopters. The stampede at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra was reported in the wee hours of Saturday following a heavy rush of devotees on the first day of the new year.