Amarnath Yatra: Five Pilgrims Dead, Four Injured as Rains Trigger Landslide on Baltal Route
The landslide occurred mid-way between Brarimarg and Railpathri along the Baltal route which leads to the cave shrine.
Srinagar, July 3: At least five pilgrims were reported dead and four others injured after incessant rainfall triggered a landslide along the Baltal route leading to the Amarnath shrine caves. A rescue team of NDRF, SDRF, Indian Army and Jammu & Kashmir police personnel have reached the spot.
The victims were rushed to the nearest medical facility, where one among the injured is reported to be critical. The yatra has been halted with the remaining among the yatris being safely escorted back to the base camp, an official said.
The landslide occurred mid-way between Brarimarg and Railpathri along the Baltal route which leads to the cave shrine.
The first casualty in this year's Amarnath Yatra was reported earlier in the day when two pilgrims - both senior citizens - died due to cardiac arrest. The deceased, identified as 75-year-old Thota Radhnam and 65-year-old Radha Krishna Sastry passed away in Baltal and Sangam, respectively. Both of them belonged to Andhra Pradesh.
Earlier in the week, non-pilgrim deaths were reported as one BSF officer, one palanquin carrier and one Yatra volunteer died in separate incidents of cardiac arrest in Sangam and Baltal.
So far, a total of 36,366 pilgrims have visited the Amarnath cave shrine, based at a height of 3,888-metre. Two routes are used by pilgrims to reach the sanctum site -- either the 36-km Pahalgam trek via Anantnag or the 12-km Baltal route through Ganderbal. The 60-day yatra, which began on June 28, is scheduled to end on August 26 -- the auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2018 11:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).