Amarnath Yatra
Amarnath cloudburst: Toll rises to 15, yatra temporarily suspended
New Delhi/UNI: The death toll in Friday evening's cloudburst incident at Amarnath rose to 15 with the recovery of two more bodies this morning.
The number of injured has climbed to 65. They have been rushed to medical facilities.
Yatra on foot has been temporarily suspended, Indian Army officials said.
Debris clearing work and search for the missing has been expedited. Two rescue dog squads and other specialist detachments have reached the holy cave, Indian Army officials said.
Military choppers have also been pressed into service for the rescue operation. Officials said that military medical teams are receiving casualties and patients at Nilagrar helipad.
BSF's MI 17 chopper has also been pressed into action to air transport injured persons and dead bodies from Neelgrath helipad/Baltal to BSF Camp Srinagar for further treatment or for ferrying bodies to their homes.
Most of the yatris who were stranded near Amarnath holy cave area due to flash flood have been shifted to Panjtarni.
The officials of the ITBP said that the evacuation continued till 3:38 am last night.
No yatri is left on the track, about 15,000 people have been safely shifted till now, they said.
Around 40 people have been reported missing as gushing water washed away three community kitchens and 25 tents at the base camp in Baltal.
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