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Amarnath tragedy: 1 killed, 200 pilgrims from Pune rescued
A 52-year -old woman has been killed, while 200 pilgrims from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad areas were rescued near the Amarnath shrine in Jammu and Kashmir which witnessed flash flood triggered by a cloudburst
A 52-year -old woman has been killed, while 200 pilgrims from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad areas were rescued near the Amarnath shrine in Jammu and Kashmir which witnessed flash flood triggered by a cloudburst.
The victim has been identified as Sunita Mahesh Bhosale (52), a resident of Harihareshwar apartment, Dhayari.
Pune district administration is trying to establish contact with the remaining 53 pilgrims, officials said Saturday.
The disaster management department of the district administration confirmed that about 255 pilgrims from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad areas were in Jammu and Kashmir for the annual Amarnath yatra.
Another pilgrim Pradip Natha Kharade, a resident of Pimpri, died after suffering a heart attack. He was admitted to the local hospital but on Saturday around 4 am doctor declared him dead. Member of the pilgrim group Shubham Khedekar informed that his body will reach Pune by private bus after the formalities are complete.
Rupali Chakankar, chief of the state women’s commission, visited the Bhosale family and instructed the district administration to provide necessary help to other family members of the Bhosale family stranded in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Three pilgrims Mahesh Rajaram Bhosale, Sunita Mahesh Bhosale and Pramila Prakash Shinde from Dhayari were part of a group that had gone to the shrine. We have visited the Bhosale family and asked the administration to provide them with necessary help,’’ said Chakankar.
A group of 200, pilgrims from Pimpri-Chinchwad had bookings for the Amarnath Yatra with Gurukrupa travels. District administration had established contact with them and all of them are in Baltal base camp and are safe.
Senior officials from the district disaster management department said, “We are in constant communication with these people and they will start their return journey towards Pune on Sunday.
Another group of 55 pilgrims with Gajanan Maharaj Sonawane had a booking for Amarnath Yatra with Mauli Yatra Company from Alandi. The administration informed that these 20 pilgrims were rescued and are safe in a parking camp. Out of the remaining 35 pilgrims, 34 were rescued and are safe in the military camp. Sunita was part of this pilgrim group.
District collector Rajesh Deshmukh said that there is no need to panic, as we are in constant touch with some pilgrims and trying to establish contact with the others.
At least 16 people have been killed while 15,000 pilgrims, who were stranded near the Amarnath holy cave in Jammu and Kashmir due to a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst, have been shifted to the lower base camp of Panjtarni on Saturday.
According to officials, the gushing waters hit the base camp outside the shrine, damaging 25 tents and three community kitchens where the pilgrims are served food.
A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesperson in Delhi said that 16 bodies have been shifted to Baltal. Separately, six pilgrims were evacuated by Army helicopters on Saturday as rescue operations continued through the night near the holy cave of Amarnath.
The pilgrimage that began on June 30 has been suspended following the tragedy and a decision on its resumption will be taken after rescue operations get over, a senior administration official told the news agency.
Helpline numbers
NDRF
011-23438252
01123438253
Kashmir division
0194-2496240
Shrine board
0194-2313149
