Amarnath tragedy: Devotees still upbeat; narrow escape for Telangana BJP MLA

Amid the tragedy that befell near the Amarnath cave shrine, the Yatris, while grieving for those who have passed away or were injured in the cloudburst, say they will complete their pilgrimage.

Srinagar (J&K): The tragedy that befell near the Amarnath cave shrine has not dampened the spirits of the devotees. Talking to ETV Bharat, one of the pilgrims present there said that while he was overwhelmed by the tragic incident, it has not discouraged him. "I was terrified the way the cloudburst took place at the Amarnathji Shrine. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their lives. The Army instructed us to stick to the side of the mountains and saved each and every one of us. I hail the Army for saving our lives," the Yatri said.

Another pilgrim said, "Even though we are facing difficulties, we still want to continue. We will complete the Yatra by the grace of Lord Shiva. A day-long rescue operation is underway, once it is concluded, we will resume the Yatra." The Amarnath Yatra has been postponed on Saturday after the accident. At least 16 people died and around 40 are missing after flash floods triggered by a cloudburst near the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, which also ravaged the base camp on Friday evening, the NDRF informed. At least 15,000 pilgrims have been rescued, the ITBP spokesperson said.

Although the pilgrimage from Pahalgam and Baltal was stopped after the accident, the pilgrims are still full of enthusiasm and devotion. Meanwhile, Telangana BJP MLA T Raja Singh had a miraculous escape from the flash flood triggered by the cloudburst near the holy cave shrine. Raja Singh and his family members who reached Amarnath by a chopper decided to use ponies to descend the hills before the weather condition began deteriorating.

“We sensed that the weather suddenly changed. In those circumstances, the chopper service would also be cancelled. So we decided to descend the hills using ponies. I could see the cloudburst about one kilometre down the hills. Several tents were swept away in the floods,” Raja Singh told the media on Friday night. As the MLA is under special security protection, the army helped the family reach Srinagar. He further said there are people from different states including Telangana stranded there. According to Singh, there were thousands of devotees at the Amarnath cave for darshan on that day.

“Water was gushing through the hills and swept away some tents. My estimation is that at least 50 people were swept away in the flash flood. The army was doing a great job at Amarnath cave. But, they were helpless in these kinds of circumstances, and also it was dark, he added. On Friday, an official on the ground said about 40 people were missing while five had been rescued. An official of the administration said a cloudburst occurred during the Amarnath Yatra which began on June 30. The cloud had burst after 28 mm of Rainfall near Amarnath Cave at around 5.30 pm on Friday.