At least 16 killed, thousands rescued at flood-hit Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir
Emergency employees rescued hundreds of pilgrims after flash floods triggered by sudden rains swept by means of their makeshift camps throughout an annual Hindu pilgrimage to an icy Himalayan collapse Indian-controlled Kashmir, officers mentioned on Saturday. Not less than 16 individuals have died and dozens have been injured.
Authorities suspended the pilgrimage for 2 days as rains continued to lash the area. Groups of rescuers from India’s army, paramilitary and police, in addition to catastrophe administration officers, combed by means of the slippery mountain tracks and used thermal imaging units, sniffer canines and through-the-wall radar to find dozens of lacking.
They dug by means of mud, sand and rocks that swamped the campsites on Friday night after hurtling down with a gush of water close to the cave shrine revered by Hindus. Civilian and army helicopters evacuated the injured to hospitals.
1000’s of individuals have been within the mountains when the rains struck.
Officers mentioned about 15,000 devotees have been moved to safer areas, and a minimum of 5 dozen injured have been administered first support at base camp hospitals arrange for the pilgrimage, which is undertaken by lots of of hundreds of Hindus from throughout India.
Teams of pilgrims are staggered over one and a half months for safety and logistical causes.
Not less than 16 individuals have died and dozens have been injured after flash floods hit an annual Hindu pilgrimage to a cave shrine in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday. Emergency employees rescued hundreds of others. Warning: Video incorporates photos of dying.
‘Every little thing was buried’
Ravi Dutt, the 69-year-old Hindu ascetic from jap West Bengal state, was tenting close to the cave on Friday night. He mentioned that immediately water gushed down from a mountain “sweeping away males, ladies and our belongings, too.”
“Every little thing was buried underneath a mountain [of mud and rocks],” Dutt mentioned as he broke down. “I’ve by no means seen such an incident in my life.”
Abdul Ghani, a Kashmiri porter who rents his pony to pilgrims, mentioned it was utter chaos. “I simply bundled a devotee on my pony and by no means seemed again,” he mentioned.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the deaths. Manoj Sinha, New Delhi’s high administrator within the area, mentioned: “Our precedence is to avoid wasting the lives of individuals. Directions have been issued to offer all obligatory help to pilgrims.”
The Amarnath pilgrimage started on June 30, and tens of hundreds of devotees have already visited the cave shrine the place Hindus worship Lingam, a naturally fashioned ice stalagmite, as an incarnation of Shiva, the god of destruction and regeneration.
This yr, officers count on practically one million guests after a two-year hole because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Worshippers trek to the cave alongside two routes by means of lush inexperienced meadows and rocky and forested mountain passes with a view of glacial lakes and snowy peaks. A standard route by way of the southern hill resort of Pahalgam takes three days, whereas a visit by means of northeastern Baltal lasts in the future. Some pilgrims use helicopter providers to make fast visits.
The cave, at 4,115 metres above sea degree, is roofed with snow a lot of the yr, aside from the brief summer season interval when it’s open to pilgrims.
Hazardous journey
Lots of of pilgrims have died previously resulting from exhaustion and publicity to harsh climate through the journey by means of the icy mountains. In 1996, hundreds have been caught in a freak snowstorm, resulting in greater than 250 fatalities.
The pilgrimage concludes on Aug. 11, a full-moon night time that Hindus say commemorates Shiva revealing the key of the creation of the universe.
Aside from weather-related hazards, officers have mentioned that pilgrims face an elevated risk of assaults from Muslim rebels who’ve fought for many years towards Indian rule. This yr, for the primary time, devotees are tagged with a wi-fi monitoring system. Tens of hundreds of police and troopers additionally guard the routes.
The pilgrimage has been focused previously by suspected rebels, who accuse Hindu-majority India of utilizing it as a political assertion to bolster its declare on the Muslim-majority disputed area.
Not less than 50 pilgrims have been killed in three dozen assaults blamed on militants since an armed rise up started in Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1989 for the area’s independence or a merger with Pakistan, which controls a part of the territory.
