Six Hindu pilgrims of Amarnath Yatra have died in the past two days in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, taking the toll in this year’s pilgrimage to nine.
Cardiac arrest triggered by low oxygen concen-tration at high altitudes is believed to be one of the more common causes of fatalities among the Amar-nath yatris and Indian forces’ personnel posted there.
So far, nine yatra-related deaths have taken place and 25 persons have been injured, officials said. They said the toll includes eight yatris and a soldier of Indian paramilitary Into-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Meanwhile, inclement weather forced the sus-pension of the Amarnath Yatra for the second con-secutive day, today, the officials said.
On the other hand, three persons identified as Bharat Singh, Vikram Singh, and Rohit Katoch, drowned when a vehicle in which they were travel-ling skidded off the road and submerged in the fast-flowing River Chenab on the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch of Ramban district. A truck also skidded off the road near Nemo area of Ladakh, resulting in the killing of two persons including its driver, Shahnawaz Ahmad Sofi. The dead body of a man was recovered from Chadoora area of Badgam district.—KMS
