9 Dead, Several Injured in Cloudburst Near Amarnath Cave; Rescue Operations Underway

Jul 08, 2022, 20:15 IST

Nine people died and several were injured after a cloudburst near Amarnath cave in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. The incident occurred following heavy rainfall in the upper reaches of the shrine.

The cloudburst was reported at 5.30pm and rescue operation is currently underway by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other agencies.

Kashmir IGP said that some langars and tents came under the cloudburst or flash floods at Holy Cave. “ The Injured are being airlifted for treatment. The situation is under control,” he added.

The annual Amarnath Yatra witnessed a brief disruption earlier Friday morning after overnight showers triggered fresh landslides and mudslides on the 270-km-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district, officials said.

Community kitchens and tents along the yatra route have been damaged. The yatra which is to end on August 11 has been suspended now following the cloud burst. The pilgrimage began this year on June 30 after a 2-year Covid gap.

Cloud burst occurred at lower holy cave of #AmarnathYatra at around 1730 Hrs. Rescue teams rushed. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/3TStz6DpF0

— Neeraj Rajput (@neeraj_rajput) July 8, 2022