Shooting stones near Amarnath cave kill a woman pilgrim, injure 11

Srinagar, July 3 (UNI) A woman pilgrim was killed and eleven others were injured due to shooting of stones near the Amarnath cave shrine, forcing authorities to suspend the yatra temporarily.

Owing to shooting of stones near the shrine, the yatra was temporarily suspended as a precautionary measures, an official told UNI.

A senior security force official told UNI over phone that yatra has since been resumed and pilgrims, who had come from Baltal and Pahalgam camps, covering the distance on foot and in helicopters offered puja in the shrine.

The yatra was going on smoothly he said.

He also said a large number of stones came from a hill top when a group of pilgrims were resting in a camp half a km away from the shrine at 2230 hours last night.

One pilgrim, identified as Devidy Barady of Asom, died on the spot and eleven others were injured after being hit by the stones.

Three critically injured were airlifted and admitted to hospital here while others are being treated in the medical camps set up near the cave.

The officer said immediately after the shooting of stones, pilgrims present in the area were shifted to safer places. There were not much yatris present in the area at the time of shooting of stones. The stones were removed and yatra resumed, he added.

He said heavy rains in the area for the past two days had triggered shooting of stones.

About six thousand pilgrims left Nunwan Pahalgam and Baltal base camps this morning for the cave shrine. Similarly, those who stranded at different halting points on Pahalgam-Amarnath routes due to bad weather have also started their journey towards their respective destinations.

The two-month-long annual yatra, which was to begin on June 30, was delayed by two days because of rains. However, thousands of unregistered pilgrims visited the cave shrine where the ice Shivalingam had already melted because of hot temperature in the cave periphery.

UNI