Srinagar, June 23: Two pilgrims, including a woman, died of a cardiac arrest after offering prayers at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, raising the death toll during the ongoing yatra to five, official sources said Tuesday.
Lekh Ram (62), a resident of Rajasthan, died at the 3,880 metre holy cave, 120 kms from here, after having darshan of the naturally formed ice-shivlingam last night, the sources said.
Another pilgrim, identified as 75-year-old Mangma, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, also died at the holy cave in South Kashmir Himalayas last night, immediately after offering prayers at the shrine.
A 37-year-old pilgrim died at Sangam top en route to the holy cave yesterday, while two porters were killed when they were struck by a landslide at Rail Pathri on June 17, two days after the annual two-month yatra commenced.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of over 10,000 pilgrims proceeded towards the shrine from the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district this morning.
“A total of 10,420 pilgrims, comprising 7140 men, 1975 women, 825 children and 480 sadhus, left for the cave from the Baltal base camp this morning,” the sources said.
Of them, they said over 5000 pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine till this afternoon, raising the number of pilgrims to have offered darshan to 67,830.
At present, the authorities were allowing only the Baltal route for the annual pilgrimage as the traditional Pahalgam route has not been cleared of snow so far.
–Agencies