The ongoing Amarnath Yatra has been suspended for a day from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes following a weather advisory warning of heavy rain in many parts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday. The decision was taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the pilgrims, since the downpour has made the trekking paths slippery and vulnerable to landslides. Restoration and safety checks are currently underway before the yatra resumes on July 18.
The heavy rain in the region have necessitated restoration work to be carried out on tracks along both routes. Border Roads Organization (BRO) has made a heavy deployment of its men and machinery on the tracks to complete the work before Yatra can be released from the two base camps on July 18.
What did the official say?
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri said, "Due to the continuous rains over last couple of days, urgent repair and maintenance works are required to be carried out on the tracks. Therefore, it has been decided that no movement shall be allowed towards the holy cave from the two base camps today. However, yatris who stayed at Panjtami camp during the preceding night are being allowed to proceed down to Baltal under adequate deployment of BRO and Mountain Rescue Teams. The Yatra shall resume in all likelihood tomorrow, depending upon the weather conditions during the course of the day."
Woman pilgrim dies, 3 others injured in landslide
This comes a day after a woman pilgrim died and three sustained injuries in a landslide along the Baltal route of the yatra in Ganderbal district.
According to officials, four pilgrims were swept downhill by the landslide at Railpathri on the Baltal axis. The injured were immediately taken to the Baltal base camp hospital, where one woman, identified as Sona Bai (55) from Rajasthan, was declared dead on arrival.
With this, the death toll during this year's Yatra has reached 15.
What led to the landslide?
The landslide during the Amarnath Yatra on Wednesday occurred due to sudden and intense rainfall in the Baltal region. According to sources, rainwater rapidly flowed down from the mountains, triggering a landslide at the Z-turn near Railpathri on the Baltal route.
This sudden downpour loosened rocks and debris on the hillside, causing a mud-and-rock slide that swept down onto the Yatra path. Officials have confirmed that the heavy rain was the primary cause of the landslide, a recurring risk in the mountainous terrain during the monsoon season.
This is the first time the yatra has been suspended from Jammu this year.
So far, over 2.47 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high shrine since the yatra began on July 3. Over 4 lakh people have registered online for the pilgrimage so far.
Last year, more than 5.10 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine, which houses a naturally formed ice lingam.
The 38-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 9.
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