JAMMU: As many as 16 Amarnath pilgrims were confirmed to be dead while 40 other remained missing in the flash flood triggered by the cloud burst at Baltal and Manslangar near holy Amarnath Cave on Friday evening.
Rescue operation teams led by the NDRF, Chinar Corps army, BSF, J and K Police have rescued 1500 pilgrims from the trek leading to the Amarnath Cave. Those who are injured among them were being airlifted to the BSF base camp at Srinagar, said the officials.
The government has put on hold the Amarnath Yatra in view of the natural disaster and the continuing spells of rains lashing the valley.
BSF MI chopper has been pressed into service to airlift the injured pilgrims and dead bodies from Neelgrah, Baltal helipad in the valley to the BSF base camp set up at Srinagar to treat the injured pilgrims rescued by the teams. These choppers were carrying essentials and evacuating the pilgrims.
Aerial recce of the Amarnath camping sites along the river/khud revealed that the sites are sitting on an imminent danger as any flash flood in the stream can prove catastrophic.
Lt Gen ADS Aujla, Chinar corps who airdashed at the site today to monitor the rescue operation told the pilgrims and care takers that the camping sites near the streams have been canceled or moved.
What has come as a shock is that the pilgrims were allowed to trek or camped near the raging streams and its catchment. The high temperature and wave of thermals created low pressure area and triggered the cloud burst around 5.30 PM Friday.
As a result, the Baltal streams were in spate carrying mounds of debris washing away the pilgrims who happened to reach near the surging stream, said the experts. Most of the streams and khuds are in spate in monsoons in the mountains, they informed.
LG of Jammu and Kashmir who had visited the camps in the areas two days ago, has condoled the death and has been monitoring the rescue operation.
The weather has cleared near the Amarnath cave and the rescue teams are searching the missing about 35-40 pilgrims dead or alive in the flash-flooded Baltal and Manslangar catchment.
Lt Gen Aujla, interacted with pilgrims and the catering Amarnath escorts who are mostly locals for confidence building measures. He was told how the army jawans rescued the pilgrims who was struck in the debris.
They told him that they were concerned about the pilgrims who lost their life not about the loss to their equipment and luggage washed away in the flood.
Lt Gen Assured them all assistance and safe passage.
A fresh cloud burst struck its blow in Doda District, but details are yet unknown.
