Amarnath Yatra hampered due to separatist-called shutdown, 2 pilgrims die

Jammu: Amarnath pilgrims were not allowed to move towards the cave shrine from Jammu on Sunday due to a separatist-called protest shutdown in the Kashmir Valley, police said.

The protest shutdown was called to mark the second death anniversary of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani who was killed along with his two associates by the security forces on this day in 2014 in Anantnag's district's Kokarnag area.

"No yatri movement was allowed today from Jammu's Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas towards the Valley," the police said.

Officials of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) said 10,107 pilgrims per formed the pilgrimage on Saturday as Yatris were allowed to move towards the shrine from both Baltal and the Pahalgam base camps.

Since it started on June 28, 83,130 pilgrims have performed the Yatra so far this year.

The pilgrimage will end on August 26 coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival.

In a separate incident, two Amarnath pilgrims succumbed to death due to natural causes in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Sunday. The death toll in this year's pilgrimage, which began on 28 June now stands at 14.

The body of the 54-year-old Lakshmi Bhai is at the base camp as procedural formalities are being completed, officials said.

A woman pilgrim, Lakshmi Bhai (54), a resident of Hyderabad, died due to cardiac arrest at Baltal base camp of the Amarnath yatra in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir during the night, a police official said.

Another pilgrim, Ravinder Nath (72), a resident of Andhra Pradesh, was taken ill and admitted to SKIMS hospital in Soura here. He passed away at the hospital today, the official said.