The Amarnath Yatra, suspended after a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst near the cave shrine, will begin on Monday 5 am, sources told CNN-News18. At least 16 people have died and around 40 people are still missing due to flash floods triggered by heavy rain near the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir.
Government sources had earlier told CNN-News18 that the local administration was keen to restart the Amarnath Yatra by Monday or Tuesday. “There should not be unnecessary hurdles for people who are already booked for the trip,” the sources said, adding that officials also felt assured about the road conditions to begin the Yatra again.
Meanwhile, rescuers said hopes of finding those missing in the Amarnath flash floods alive are fading by the hour despite making last-ditch efforts to look for any survivor. “The rescue operations are going on as personnel from various agencies are clearing the debris in the hope of finding any survivor,” a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) official told PTI. “We are still hopeful but anyone still alive under that debris will be a miracle,” the official added. Besides sniffer dogs, the rescuers are also using hand-held thermal imagers and other sophisticated devices to check for any sign of life under the mounds of debris.
The Army has also pressed heavy machinery into service to restore the track to the holy cave shrine, reports said.
Dramatic visuals showed the exact moment the flashflood hit the camp site where hundreds of devotees were staying during their onward journey. In one such video, water is seen rushing towards the tents and people are seen trying to escape amid shouts, and cries for help.
A day after the tragedy, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high level meeting on Saturday to review the ongoing rescue and relief operation.
The annual 43-day pilgrimage had commenced from the twin base camps, Nunwan-Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal, on June 30.
Over one lakh pilgrims have offered prayers at the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice ‘shivling’, according to reports. A total of 69,535 pilgrims have left in 10 batches from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for the Valley since June 29, the day the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.
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