Amarnath pilgrim dies after being hit by shooting stone, yatra put off for day

A woman pilgrim was killed and two others were injured after being hit by a shooting stone as heavy rains lashed the Amarnath Yatra route in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, officials said on Thursday. Following the incident, the yatra was suspended for a day to facilitate restoration work on the tracks.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Ganderbal, Khalil Ahmad Poswal, confirmed the death, stating that the woman died after being struck by a shooting stone on Wednesday evening along the Baltal axis. Two other pilgrims were also injured in the incident.

Officials said the Amarnath Yatra was suspended from both the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps on Thursday.

“Heavy and continuous rainfall over the past two days has necessitated urgent restoration work along both yatra routes,” officials said.

The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has deployed additional personnel and machinery along the tracks to expedite the repairs, aiming to reopen the route for pilgrims on Friday.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, said that the decision to halt the yatra was taken due to safety concerns caused by adverse weather conditions.

“Due to the continuous rains over the last few days, urgent repair and maintenance works are required on the tracks. Therefore, it has been decided that no movement shall be allowed towards the holy cave from both base camps today,” Bidhuri said.

However, he added that pilgrims who had stayed at Panjtarni camp on the previous night were being allowed to descend towards Baltal under the supervision of BRO personnel and Mountain Rescue Teams. “The yatra is likely to resume tomorrow, subject to improvement in weather conditions,” he said.

According to officials, more than 2.51 lakh pilgrims have performed darshan at the holy cave in the first 15 days of the annual pilgrimage.

Army helps 500 stranded yatris

The Army on Thursday said it helped around 500 Amarnath pilgrims, who were stranded following a landslide which halted the yatra movement. Jammu-based defense spokesman Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said on evening of July 16, at approximately 7.15 pm, persistent rainfall triggered a landslide at Z Morh, between Railpathri and Brarimarg, resulting in the halting of yatra movement and stranding a large number of pilgrims.

The Army detachment deployed at Brarimarg swung into action, he said. According to Bartwal, around 500 yatris stranded in the area were accommodated in tents and provided with tea and drinking water. Additionally, another 3,000 pilgrims found refuge in langars located between Brarimarg and Z Morh, which offered essential shelter and sustenance, he said.

J & K