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At least 30 people have died after heavy rains triggered a landslide near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, confirmed SSP Reasi Paramvir Singh. The tragic incident occurred around 3 pm on Tuesday near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari, roughly halfway along the 12-km trek to the hilltop shrine. Rescue operations are still ongoing.Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) posted on X (formerly Twitter) that widespread thunderstorm activity continues across the region. Severe convection, with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and possible hail, is affecting areas including Jammu, RS Pura, Samba, Akhnoor, Nagrota, Kot Bhalwal, Bishnah, Vijaypur, Purmandal, and parts of Kathua and Udhampur. Moderate rainfall has been reported in Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Billawar, Katra, Ramnagar, Hiranagar, Gool, Banihal, and surrounding areas. 123536251The landslide also left several devotees stranded, with many unable to return home due to train cancellations. Speaking to ANI, Rajkumari Devi, a devotee from Motihari, Bihar, said, “We had the Darshan a day before yesterday. Now, we want to go home, but we are not able to as the trains are cancelled. A huge mishap has occurred. We are scared and want to go home.”Another devotee from Champaran added, “We are trapped here due to the rain. We had tickets, but the trains have shut down. We are facing difficulties in reaching Bihar.”Officials reported that eighteen trains were cancelled after the down line between Pathankot Cantt and Kandrori was suspended following soil erosion and flash floods in the Chakki river. The landslide and continuous rains have severely impacted railway services in the region.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the communication difficulties in the Union Territory due to the damage caused by heavy rainfall. “Still struggling with almost nonexistent communication. There is a trickle of data flowing on Jio mobile, but no fixed-line WiFi, no browsing, almost no apps. Things like X open frustratingly slowly, WhatsApp struggles with anything more than short text messages. Haven’t felt this disconnected since the terrible days of 2014 and 2019,” Abdullah posted on X.On Tuesday, Abdullah spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the situation and stressed that efforts are being made to restore phone and data connectivity as soon as possible. He also noted that the closure of Jammu airport delayed his travel, but he hopes to reach the region on the first flight tomorrow while closely monitoring the situation on the ground.The Vaishno Devi pilgrimage was suspended immediately after the incident. The Himkoti route had already been closed in the morning due to heavy rainfall, while the old track was later shut for safety reasons. The Jammu administration has also restricted night-time movement due to rising flood threats.Continuous rainfall has caused severe damage across the region, swelling rivers and streams and triggering flash floods. In Kathua, a bridge over the Sahar Khad river was damaged after water levels rose dangerously, disrupting traffic on the key Jammu-Pathankot Highway. Local authorities are monitoring the situation closely.The Jammu region has been witnessing intense monsoon showers for several days, causing landslides, floods, and major disruption to daily life, particularly in hilly and low-lying areas. Earlier this month, heavy rains caused further tragedies: on 17 August, seven people died and 11 others were injured after a cloudburst in Kathua district, and on 14 August, a cloudburst during the Machail Mata Yatra in Kishtwar killed at least 55 people.Chief Minister Omar Abdullah previously stated on 19 August that the Kishtwar disaster was caused by a cloudburst rather than the bursting of glacial lakes, warning that finding survivors could be impossible.Inputs from agencies

Indian equity and commodity markets are closed on Wednesday, August 27, in observance of Ganesh Chaturthi. The mid-week closure marks the second trading holiday of the month after markets were shut on August 15 for the country’s 79th Independence Day.Trading across the BSE and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) will be halted today. This includes all segments, equities, equity derivatives, and the securities lending and borrowing (SLB) framework. With trading suspended, activity will resume on Thursday, August 28.The S&P 500 ended higher on Tuesday, lifted by Nvidia and Eli Lilly, while U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to fire a central bank governor deepened concerns about the Federal Reserve's independenceMeanwhile, Asian equities struggled for direction at the open Wednesday as investors awaited Nvidia Corp.’s earnings for guidance on where the markets head next after a strong rally since April.Also Read: Bank holiday today on Ganesh Chaturthi 2025: Are banks open or closed? Check state-wise list for August 27 and August 28Ganesh Chaturthi 2025Commodity markets will also operate on a limited schedule for the festival. The Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), which trades bullion, energy and base metals, will remain shut during the morning session but reopen for evening trade. Meanwhile, the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), India’s largest platform for agricultural contracts such as oilseeds, pulses and spices, will remain closed for the entire day.Such mid-week pause closures can sometimes add to volatility once markets reopen, as investors adjust positions and factor in global developments that occurred during the downtime. Market participants will also be watching international cues closely, particularly movements in U.S. equities, crude oil and global commodity prices, which often influence trading sentiment when domestic exchanges resume.NSE holidays 2025 listThere are no scheduled stock market holidays in September beyond the usual weekend breaks. The remaining holidays in 2025 are:October 2, 2025 – Mahatma Gandhi JayantiOctober 21, 2025 – Diwali (Laxmi Pujan, with Muhurat trading)October 22, 2025 – Diwali (Bali Pratipada)November 5, 2025 – Guru Nanak JayantiDecember 25, 2025 – ChristmasWhile Indian equity markets observe around 13–15 holidays each year, the actual impact often depends on whether the closure creates a long weekend or overlaps with global market activity. The Ganesh Chaturthi holiday is one such instance, offering domestic investors a brief pause before trading resumes later in the week.Also read | YES Bank shares down 20% in 1 year. Can RBI’s nod to SMBC deal push the stock towards Rs 23?(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

The US’ 50% tariffs on India come into effect today, with labour-intensive sectors expected to bear the brunt. ET looks at India’s trade with the US and how it fares viz-a-viz its competitors.India's top 10 exports (2024-25, IN $ BN) 123533267

Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Tuesday cautioned against the implementation of the theaterisation plan in a hurry and proposed the setting up of a joint planning and coordination centre in Delhi comprising top military brass to ensure tri-services synergy.In a fireside chat at the Army War College, the Chief of Air Staff, referring to proposed theatre commands, said creating a new structure while disrupting everything is not a very good idea at this point of time.The hugely significant remarks by the Air Chief Marshal came three-and-a-half months after India carried out Operation Sindoor that reflected various elements of synergy among the three services.In his remarks, Singh said the operation once again established the "primacy" of air power even as he highlighted the tri-services coordination during the May 7 to 10 conflict with Pakistan.The Chief of Air Staff said that Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan played a "very big role" during Operation Sindoor. He highlighted how Gen Chauhan and the three service chiefs worked closely in planning and executing the operation."I personally feel that having a joint planning and coordination centre in Delhi is what is required," he said, suggesting that it should be kept under the Chiefs of Staff Committee directions that can be issued jointly.With Gen Chauhan listening, Air Chief Marshal Singh said that "centrally planned" decisions can be executed under a de-centralised framework. "That will work out the best."The IAF chief was replying to a question on the proposed theatre commands."But yes, we can start with this first, implement it and see how it pans out. If we need any more structure, we can think about it. But disrupting everything and making one structure now at this time, I do not think it is a very good idea," he said.The Chief of Air Staff also said that India should not be inspired by any other country, like the US, in rolling out theatre commands."Everybody has their own requirements. We need to think about what we need there, and then only we should go about it. Otherwise, we will go wrong," Singh said."We should not just come under any pressure and say we have to implement it now. Somehow, we have to do it. It should not be done this way. I think we can stand our ground and discuss things," he said.The Air Chief Marshal said there is a need to prepare for tomorrow's war."You cannot have a theatre commander sitting somewhere... now whom they talk to, where do they get directions from. Phones are available but generally that does not work like that," he said."I feel having joint planning and coordination at the apex level is what is required. If directions go from it, things will work out. We don't actually need another structure at the lower level," Singh said.Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the army, air force and navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations.As per the theaterisation plan, each of the theatre commands will have units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, and all of them will work as a single entity looking after security challenges in a specified geographical territory.At present, the Army, Navy and Air Force have separate commands.