Five die during Amarnath pilgrimage in past 24 hrs

Srinagar, June 21 (UNI) Four Amarnath pilgrims and a porter have died since last evening, official sources said today.

With this, a total of eleven pilgrims have died since the commencement of the two-month-long Amarnath pilgrimage on June 11.

They said Anil Kumar Sharma, a resident of Biharipark, Devli Raod in Delhi, slipped and fell down in a deep gorge at Sangam Top on way to the holy cave shrine from shorter Baltal route last evening.

He was brought dead to a medical camp at Baltal, the sources added.

They said another devotee, Madhukar Dharmabunde of Kalva Thane in Maharashtra, died of a cardiac arrest at the Baltal base camp this morning. He was 61.

The sources said Patpan Ram, a resident of Bedpura in Rajasthan, also died of a heart attack at Sheshnag this morning.

They said a 'sadhu', Yograj alias Surinder, a resident of Raipur in Chhattisgarh, suffered a respiratory attack at Sheshnag enroute the holy cave shrine from the traditional Pahalgam route this morning.

The 45-year-old 'sant' was rushed to a medical camp at Chandanwari, but died on way, the sources added.

They said a porter, Shah Mohammad Paswal, a resident of Narla, Rajouri in Jammu region, died after he was hit by a huge stone enroute the Amarnath cave shrine.

He had suffered multiple head injuries, they added.

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