JAMMU, Aug. 30 -- Days after a cloudburst-triggered landslide near Ardhkuwari on the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage track claimed the lives of 34 pilgrims, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, who heads the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), has ordered a high-level probe into the tragedy. A three-member committee led by additional chief secretary (jal shakti) Shaleen Kabra has been constituted to investigate the causes, assess the response, and suggest measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The panel has been given two weeks to submit its report.

Earlier, the shrine board issued a statement denying any lapses and giving itself a clean chit, asserting that pilgrimage was suspended before the disaster struck. The statement has ...