E-Paper
Body of pilgrim killed trying to save mother at Amarnath camp flown to Kolkata
The funeral of Barsha Muhuri, a resident of Baruipur near Kolkata who was preparing for her PhD and loved to travel, was due to be held later in the day
The body of a 22-year-old pilgrim killed while trying to save her mother when a flash flood and landslide hit the base camp of Amarnath shrine in Kashmir was flown to Kolkata on Monday. The funeral of Barsha Muhuri, a resident of Baruipur near Kolkata who was preparing for her PhD and loved to travel, was due to be held later in the day.
Muhuri, her mother Nibedita, and uncle Subrata Chowdhury left Kolkata on July 1 and arrived in Pahalgam on July 5 en route to the Amarnath shrine. They were scheduled to return home on July 16.
Swarup Muhuri, a relative, said Barsha Muhuri tried to save her mother from getting washed away when the flash flood struck. “Nibedita was saved but Barsha got swept away and went missing. Her body was found on Sunday.”
Santanu Roy, a neighbour of the Muhuris, said the family loved to travel and would visit tourist destinations at least two to three times a year. “I went to Bhutan with them once.”
Hopes of finding 40 pilgrims, who have been missing since the flash flood and the landslide hit, dimmed on Sunday even as rescuers soldiered on in tough conditions. Chances of survival for anyone buried under the debris were slim.
At least 16 people have been confirmed to have been killed since the incident on Friday. Rescuers were racing against time, rallying resources from the Indian Army and the Air Force.
