At least 13 people died after hundreds of people were washed away in a cloudburst in the holy cave of Amarnath on Saturday. Six pilgrims were evacuated by army helicopters while rescue operations continued through the night. At around 5.30 pm on Friday, a cloudburst caused a ton of rain and thick streams of silt started flowing down the hill into the valley. According to officials, three community kitchens providing food to pilgrims in south Kashmir and 25 tents at the base camp outside the temple were damaged.
“Air rescue operation was launched this morning after six pilgrims were safely evacuated. Military medical teams are recuperating patients and casualties at the Nilagarar helipad,” an official said on Saturday. The army official said mountain rescue teams and patrol teams were working to find the missing.
Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force have taken off from Srinagar to join the rescue operation at the Amarnath cave site. The aircraft has been on stand-by since morning, but could not take off due to bad weather in and around Srinagar: IAF official#AmarnathYatra
— ANI (@ANI) 9 July 2022
In addition, Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are reported to be involved in rescue operations based on the latest reports. Mi-17 has taken off from Srinagar airport to join the operations. It is being said that the helicopters were on standby since morning, but could not handle it due to bad weather in the city and surrounding areas.
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On Friday, an official on the ground said that around 40 people were missing while five had been rescued. The Union Territory Administration and Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) provided four telephone numbers to help the families of those affected by the cloudburst.
An administration official said the Amarnath Yatra, which began on June 30, has been postponed following the tragedy and it has been decided to resume it.
With input from agencies