Amarnath Yatra Suspended Amid Torrential Rain In Jammu And Kashmir; Army Rescues Pilgrims Swept Away By Floodwaters

Amarnath Yatra has been suspended for Thursday due to relentless torrential rains lashing parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The rain has made the pilgrimage routes unusable and caused a landslide that killed one woman pilgrim and injured three others travelling along the Baltal route in Ganderbal district, according to PTI. 

Some tragic images emerged of pilgrims being swept away by water. In one shocking sequence of images, two pilgrims got caught in the current, and more were taken by surprise as a flood compromised the two long lines of yatris. Indian Army personnel on site were seen rescuing stranded pilgrims and providing assistance in difficult conditions. 

Vijay Kumar Bhiduri, Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, reported that due to the weather and conditions of the track, the Amarnath Yatra has been suspended from both Pahalgam and Baltal base camps.“Continuous heavy rains over the last two days have necessitated restoration work to be carried out on tracks along both routes,” Bhiduri stated.

He added that yatris who stayed at the Panjtami camp last night are being allowed to descend to Baltal, with safety measures ensured through the deployment of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and Mountain Rescue Teams.

The BRO has mobilised extensive manpower and machinery along the affected tracks to restore safe passage and prepare for resumption of the pilgrimage.  “In all likelihood, if the weather does not play spoilsport during the day, the yatra will commence tomorrow (Friday),” Bhiduri said hopefully.

An officer has also said that a two-day weather advisory has been issued predicting heavy rain across the yatra routes and much of Jammu and Kashmir. Such unpredictable weather presents a huge challenge to both the pilgrims and the rescue teams working in dangerous conditions.

This is the first suspension of the Amarnath Yatra from Jammu this year, while the administration, having to think about the safety of all devotees, closes the yatra amidst the fury of nature. Even with this major suspension of the yatra, more than 2.47 lakh pilgrims have offered prayers at the 3,880-meter-high holy shrine since the yatra began on July 3.

Local administrators and rescue teams are also on a high level of alert and are presently conducting evacuation and safety protocols while keeping an eye on the weather forecast.

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