Yatri from MP dies near Amarnath cave, toll so far 48

Srinagar, Jul 19:  A 60-year-old yatri died of cardiac arrest near the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, where so far 2.17 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance since the commencement of the annual pilgrims from June 29. With this, the death toll during the pilgrimage so far has touched 48, while Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, who is also chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has reviewed the issues relating to pilgrims injured or killed since the beginning of the Yatra. Meanwhile, an official spokesman said here today that Mr Vohra reviewed with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SASB Umang Narula issues relating to pilgrims injured or killed since the beginning of the Yatra. He said since June 29 to July 16, as many as 19 pilgrims had died due to medical reasons and 20 others had been killed in accidents. On July 10, 8 pilgrims had been killed in a terrorist attack on the bus in which they were travelling in Anantnag district on Srinagar-Jammu Highway. The CEO stated that, in view of the circumstances leading to the killing of pilgrims in this terror attack, a conscious decision had been taken to enhance the scale of ex-gratia relief paid to the next of their kin. Mr Narula ensured that all costs for sending the mortal remains by air to the home towns of the pilgrims, in whatever circumstances they had died, were borne by the Shrine Board. He said in 37 cases the Board had also borne the cost of providing an escort and attendant to deliver the coffin to the deceased pilgrim’s home town. Till yesterday, the Board had incurred Rs 14,66,975 on account of transportation costs and Rs 1,34,75,000 towards payment of ex-gratia relief. As regards the 16 pilgrims killed on July 16 in an accident near Banihal, when an SRTC bus went into a Khud, CEO informed that, as earlier decided by the Chairman, the coffins of the killed pilgrims, along with the escorting attendants, had been sent to their home towns on July 17 by Air India and Indigo flights. As earlier discussed by CEO with Governor, besides attendants from among pilgrims, J&K Police personnel have also been deputed to accompany the bodies. The mortal remains of the 12 deceased were transported by air to the nearest airports in the States of Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, from where the coffins are being transported in ambulances to their native places. The coffins of three killed pilgrims were transported in Ambulances to Sikar (Rajasthan), Panipat (Haryana) and R S Pura (Jammu). The mortal remains of one deceased female yatri, Chaya Devi, wife of Vijay Chourasiya Singh, resident of Bihar, have been kept in the mortuary at Jammu as her husband and son, both of whom had got injured in the Ramsoo road accident, are still undergoing medical treatment at Jammu. UNI