Amarnath Yatra: 15,000 rescued, 16 dead, 40 missing after cloudburst
At least 16 people were killed and dozens swept away by the flash flood triggered by a cloudburst near the revered cave shrine of Amarnath in Kashmir on Friday evening. Yatra's tents and community kitchens have also been flooded. Over 15,000 pilgrims have moved to the lower base camp, according to officials, and more than 40 people are still missing.
- After a three-year hiatus, the 43-day Amarnath Yatra officially started on June 30.
- The Yatra was called off in 2019 due to the Centre's decision to repeal Article 370 of the Constitution.
- In 2020 and 2021, the pilgrimage was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are currently conducting rescue operations and searching for missing persons.
The majority of pilgrims who were marooned near the sacred cave last night have been relocated to Panchtarni, the base camp for the Amarnath Yatra. This morning, 21 wounded people were airlifted to Baltal. An official stated that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has dispatched three teams totaling approximately 75 rescuers. Following the incident, the Amarnath Yatra has been temporarily halted.
"Sixteen people have been confirmed dead. About 40 still seem to be missing. No landslides have been reported, but there's continuous rain....though it's not hampering rescue work," Atul Karwal, NDRF Director-General, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "Four NDRF teams with over 100 rescuers (are engaged) in rescue work. Besides, the Indian Army, SDRF, CRPF, and others continue to rescue," he added.
Pilgrims who were safely rescued from the areas affected have given harrowing accounts of cloudburst-caused floods which have swamped the entire area with large rocks and mud. "Within 10 minutes of the cloudburst, eight casualties were reported. The water carried a large number of stones with it. There were approximately 15,000 pilgrims....The pilgrims continued to come despite heavy rains," a pilgrim reportedly stated.
A pilgrim named Deepak, from Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh, reportedly stated, "A stampede-like situation happened there, but Army supported a lot. Many pandals were washed away due to the water." "Situation is under control, rains are still going on. Looking at the hazard level, the Amarnath Yatra has been halted temporarily due to the area being inundated," Vivek Kumar Pandey, ITBP's spokesperson, reportedly stated.
According to officials, the cloudburst, which occurred around 5:30 pm, caused flash floods hitting the base camp near the shrine, harming 25 tents and three community kitchens where pilgrims served food. As per automatic meteorological stations at the holy cave, the area received 31 mm of rain between 4:30 and 6:30 pm. Some pandals located two kilometers away from the site were also damaged.
Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind have expressed their sorrow over the deaths. The central forces and the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government have been ordered by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure prompt rescue and assistance. Four helplines have been established by the J&K administration so that people can gather information about the situation and their loved ones.
