Amarnath Yatris were warned 15-20 minutes before the flash flood, says ITBP official

Prior to flash floods occurring in the lower areas of the Amarnath cave, which resulted in multiple deaths, a warning was issued to all the pilgrims to move to higher ground, Into Tibetan Border Police official spokesperson Vivek Pandey told ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi: The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Saturday said that a warning was issued well in advance to the pilgrims and other people to shift to safer places before the flash flood deluged the lower areas of Amarnath cave. A senior official of the border guarding agency said that a similar flash flood had occurred the previous year as well.

"We warned people 15-20 minutes ahead of the actual flood. They could have moved to safer places," said ITBP spokesperson Vivek Pandey to ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview. Pandey said that they blew whistles and told people to vacate the particular area. "It's not that we were not aware of this kind of calamity. Last year also there had been a similar incident. The same river was flooded and a security forces base camp was damaged. It was due to the unfortunate circumstances that these people were trapped," said Pandey, asserting that it's a very difficult terrain and that there is always a chance of flash floods.

He said that the area is very narrow and there is very little scope for any diversion. "It's a single lane. People go to the holy cave through this route. It was in the mind but you can't change the course of the flood," Pandey said. He added that the affected are mostly the local people and pilgrims who rest on their way to the Amarnath cave.

"Local shopkeepers open their stalls for pilgrims. They sell certain items like prasad, flowers, and other handicraft items on the road. There was no permanent camp in the affected areas. Some shopkeepers and pilgrims misjudged the flow of the water, following which they were trapped," said Pandey. Pandey said that some alternate route can be traced or built to avoid such disasters in the future. He clarified that till 3 pm on Friday there were no indications of the flash flood.

According to the latest reports, 16 dead bodies have been recovered and 65 persons have been injured. The injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. More than 40 pilgrims are still missing. Over two dozen tents, three langars, and a part of the base camp near the holy cave have been washed away. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army, BSF, ITBP, CRPF, J&K police, and the local administration have been conducting relief and rescue operations.