Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 8: With the death toll increasing by minutes, at least 15 people were killed and 40 reported “missing” while scores of others were injured after a cloudburst near the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, official sources said. The authorities are apprehensive that the casualties could still rise.
Even as a spokesman of the Indo-Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) said the situation was “under control” following the cloudburst reported around 5.30 P.M. official sources said a large number of community kitchens and tents along the yatra route had been damaged or destroyed in the incident. “Situation is under control, rains are still going on. Looking at the hazard level, the Amarnath Yatra has been halted temporarily due to the area being inundated. If the weather remains normal and makeshift arrangements are made, then the yatra can be resumed tomorrow,” the ITBP spokesman said.
A senior ITBP official said water came from above and sides of the cave after it rained heavily at the upper reaches. The injured are being airlifted for treatment while helicopters have also been pressed into service for carrying out rescue operations by the national and the state disaster response teams and other agencies.
“Cloudburst reported at around 5.30 pm. High momentum water flow affected many tents. Our crew is engaged in rescue work. 2 out of our 3 teams engaged. J-K Police, Indian Army and Indo-Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) also engaged. Initial momentum decreasing, we’ll be prepared for every situation,” an official spokesman of the J&K administration said.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant General (L-G) Manoj Sinha over the mishap, adding all possible assistance is being provided to the affected.
The Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to L-G Singa and tweeted that teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the state Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Border Security Force (BSF) and the local administration were carrying out the rescue operations.
The Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh said he was in constant touch with the J-K administration. “The SDRF and NDRF teams have promptly swung into action to provide all possible relief and assistance,” Singh tweeted. The Northern Army Commander said six teams of the army including helicopters have been launched for aid of Yatris in Cloudburst affected area.
A cloudburst refers to particularly heavy rain in a short period of time over limited geographical area. The Amarnath Yatra was briefly suspended earlier this week due to bad weather. The pilgrimage began this year on June 30 after a 2-year Covid gap and is scheduled to end on August 11, the Raksha Bandhan Day. More than 72,000 pilgrims have offered their prayers at the shrine since it opened a week ago.