3 pilgrims die en route Amarnath shrine, death toll reaches 25

Srinagar, Jul 13: Three more pilgrims have died en route the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, taking the death toll in the ongoing yatra to 25, officials said.

A 55-year-old woman pilgrim, identified as Sarojini G from Vadodara in Gujarat, died after she suffered a heart attack en route the cave shrine last evening, police said.

Two male pilgrims also passed away following cardiac arrest en route the shrine on Friday night but their identities are yet to be known, they said.

With this, the death toll of Amarnath pilgrims has risen to 25 since the yatra began on June 28. Meanwhile, the number of pilgrims who payed obeisance at the naturally formed ice Shivlingam in the 3,880 meter high cave shrine, crossed two lakh mark today.

While 1.96 lakh pilgrims had performed 'darshan' till last evening, over 4,000 pilgrims paid obeisance till 1 PM today, officials said, adding the pilgrimage was progressing smoothly from both Baltal and traditional Pahalgam routes.

PTI