One Amarnath pilgrim from UP dead, toll reaches 44

Srinagar, July 27 (UNI) One more Amarnath pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh died in SMHS hospital here today due to heart attack , official sources said.

With this, the total toll since the commencement of the two-month pilgrimage to the holy cave on June 11, has risen to 44. Majority of the pilgrims died due to heart failure.

According to the sources Ram Sevak Das, a 45-year-old sadhu from Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh suffered a massive heart attack at Panjtherni when he was on his way to the holy cave.

He was immediately shifted to SMHS hospital where he died.

Despite rains near the cave periphery and other halting points enroute the shrine, the yatra was going on smoothly from the shortest Baltal and traditional Pahalgam routes.

So far, about 2.70 lakh pilgrims from all over the country and abroad have had 'darshan' of the 'Shivlingam' in the cave shrine despite the threat perception and 'icelingam' controversy.

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