1.76 L yatris pay obeisance, 2 more die of cardiac arrest
TNN Bureau. Updated: 7/15/2018 10:53:03 AM
Front Page
SRINAGAR: On the 17th day of the ongoing Shri Amarnathji Yatra, 11,038 Yatris paid obeisance at the Holy Cave, taking the total number of pilgrims to have had the darshan of the Shivling to 1,76,044, even as over 3000 more 3,000 pilgrims left Jammu for the holy shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
Two more pilgrims are reported to have died of heart attack, taking the toll to 25 in this year’s Yatra.
Early this morning, the fresh batch of 3,048 pilgrims, including 623 women and 144 sadhus, left Jammu in 112 vehicles for the twin base camps in the Valley under tight security in the wee hours, a police official said.
He said while 1,973 pilgrims, including 310 women and 144 sadhus, were heading for the Nunwan base camp along the 36-km Pahalgam track, 1,075 yatries have opted the shortest 12-km Baltal route. They will be reaching the base camp later in the day.
Meanwhile, two pilgrims died after suffering cardiac arrest on the Baltal route of the Amarnath cave shrine, taking the toll in this year's pilgrimage to 25, police said today.
Pandik Panduraj (60), a resident of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, suffered cardiac arrest near the cave shrine this morning. He was rushed to the medical facility nearby where he was declared brought dead, a police official said.
Another pilgrim, K L Salvi (59), from Udaipur in Rajasthan died due to cardiac arrest at Brarimarg along the Baltal route last night, the official said.
With this, the death toll in this year's pilgrimage -- which began on June 28 -- has gone up to 25.
Meanwhile a pilgrim from Chennai, identified as Ramaswami (64), suffered a fracture in the right leg after falling down while trying to board a crowded helicopter at Nilgrath along the Pahalgam route, the police official said.
He has been admitted to a hospital here for treatment, the official said.
The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 26 coinciding with 'Raksha Bandhan' festival.