Jammu, Aug. 28 -- Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that why the Vaishno Devi pilgrims were on track even after sufficient weather warnings about heavy rains. Responding to media queries here after visiting flood affected areas, Omar said, "When we knew about weather (forecasts) then shouldn't we have taken some measures to protect lives. We had received weather warnings a few days ago then how they (pilgrims) were on track? Why weren't they stopped and kept at safe places? We need to talk on this later," he added. Omar has said that after his government gets over with the rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations, he would order a probe and inquire into the reasons responsible for such a tragedy. He said that he has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Jammu region and expressed gratitude for his assurance of continued assistance to the people of J&K. "I spoke to PM just a while ago and briefed him about the situation. I thank him for the deployment of NDRF teams. He has assured me that all support will be given by the Centre," said Omar. The CM said he was slightly relieved after the rain stopped on Wednesday. Omar referred to the damage caused to the fourth bridge on the river Tawi in Jammu city during the 2014 floods and said, "I was telling the divisional commissioner that in 2014, the bridge had suffered damage at the same spot." "There is a danger on this side which we were unable to understand properly. Expert teams have to be put on the job to find out why there was damage on this side in 2014 and again today. We will have to take measures so that it does not recur." Focusing on the threat faced by the people living along the banks of rivers and flood channels, he said, "The houses along the river will always be in danger whenever heavy rains occur. We will have to do something about this. First, we will deal with the current situation, and later, we will look into that." He said the rains have stopped, water is receding in the river and relief operations have picked up speed. CM Omar announced an ex-gratia of Rs.6 lakh for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the landslide near the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. The people of Katra and Vaishno Devi pilgrims on Wednesday staged a vociferous protest in Katra town accusing Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine board of "genocide" of 35 devotees. Shouting slogans against the shrine board, locals gathered at main chowk of Katra town. "If every individual in J&K was getting weather alerts on his mobile phone about heavy rains, cloudbursts, flashfloods, landslides then weren't officials of the shrine board getting these alerts? Were they blind to the warnings," said Sohan Chander, a local. A 60-year-old devotee from UP said, "I am worried about my son, who remains missing since landslide struck the pilgrims on Tuesday afternoon around 2.30 pm." A day after a landslide left over 34 Vaishno Devi pilgrims dead near Ardhkuwari amid heavy rains, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday called it a cloudburst and expressed grief over loss of lives. After visiting injured at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Naryana Superspecialty Hospital at Katra, Sinha said, "It was a cloudburst that swept away pilgrims near Adhkuwari on Tuesday afternoon causing loss of precious human lives and injuring several others." "The Yatra was suspended. Most of the deceased have been identified and their bodies are being sent to their families. Loss of human life can't be compensated with money. However, Rs.9 lakh each (Rs.5 lakh by Shrine Board and Rs.4 lakh by disaster management department) will be given to next of kin of deceased pilgrims," he added....