6 more pilgrims die, toll 67
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 11: With the death of six more Amarnath pilgrims since late last night en route to the holy cave shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas, the toll during this year’s pilgrimage has reached to 67 so far.
According to officials, six more deaths took place enroute to holy cave today on two tracks today taking the toll to 67.
Till late last night, 61 deaths were reported with 10 deaths taking place on a single day yesterday.
The officials said that there is no decrease in heavy rush of pilgrims as thousands of yatris reported at base camps of Nunwan (Pahalgam) and Baltal today also.
Officials said a fresh batch of 23,421 pilgrims performed darshan in holy cave today while 4,286 pilgrims were staying at cave for darshan. With this, the total number of pilgrims visiting holy cave in last 17 days of yatra which started on June 25 has touched 3,98,952, he added.
Till yesterday, 3,75,531 pilgrims had performed darshan in holy cave.
Body of an unidentified Sadhu was recovered from a tent at Panjtarni, six kms short of the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine, along the 46-km traditional Pahalgam route, this morning, the officials said.
One of the pilgrims, 50-year-old Prem Chand, a resident of Punjab, died after being hit by a shooting stone, rolling down from a hillock, while crossing Brarimarg glacier on 16-km Baltal-cave route in Ganderbal district last evening, they said.
Another two, Subash Chand (45) and Subash Babu (62), both residents of Uttar Pradesh, died of cardiac arrest at Railpathri and Brarimarg respectively, on Baltal route, last night.
Hari Bhai (50) of Gujarat and Bhim Singh (72) of Haryana also died along the Baltal route last night.
Officials said 11,6,95 pilgrims left Nunwan base camp via traditional Chandanwari track to holy cave while 9,323 left from shortest 16 kilometre Baltal track this morning.
The yatra was stopped for two hours this morning via Baltal due to slippery track but later it was allowed onwards 7 am, officials said. They said the pilgrims staying at other camps enroute to holy cave via Chandanwrai track also left for their onwards sojourn this morning and the yatris who performed darshan in holy cave started their return journey via Baltal and traditional Panchtarni tracks.
A fresh batch of 4186 pilgrims today left for the holy Amarnath Cave Shrine situated in South Kashmir of Himalayas under tight security arrangements.
The batch of pilgrims this morning left from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp here.
“The batch comprising 2699 males, 929 females, 64 children and 494 Sadhus this morning at around 0500 hrs left for the Amarnath in a convoy of 127 vehicles including 59 SRTC buses, 26 private and 42 Light Motor Vehicles,” official spokesman here said.
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