Amarnath Yatra Bus Falls Into Gorge on Jammu-Srinagar Highway, 16 Killed

Srinagar: At least 16 people were killed when a bus carrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims met with an accident on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Sunday, the latest tragedy to strike the pilgrimage after the July 10 terror attack.

The vehicle skidded off the road, turned turtle and rolled down into a gorge at Nachlana belt of Ramban district, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ramban, Mohan Lal told PTI.

Rescue operations are underway at the site and an Air Force chopper has been deployed to airlift those seriously injured.

A tweet by the Jammu and Kashmir police said 19 people were being airlifted for treatment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed pain at the loss of lives of Amarnath pilgrims in a bus accident in Jammu and Kashmir. "Extremely pained by the loss of lives of Amarnath Yatris due to a bus accident in J&K. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased," Modi tweeted. "I pray that those injured in the bus accident in J&K recover soon," the Prime Minister added.

Home minister Rajnath Singh also tweeted his condolences and said his prayers are with those who lost their loved ones and with the injured. “I spoke to J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Muftiji regarding the unfortunate accident of the bus carrying Amarnath Yatris near Ramban. Mehboobaji has apprised me of the ongoing rescue operations. The injured Amarnath Yatris are being airlifted for treatment in Jammu," he tweeted.

The accident occurred hours after the death toll from the terror attack on the pilgrimage on July 10 went up to eight. Lalita Ben, a devotee from Gujarat, succumbed to the injuries sustained in the attack, at a Srinagar hospital on Sunday.

A man who was injured after a bus he was travelling in skidded off a mountain road and fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, is rushed to a hospital for treatment in Jammu July 16, 2017. (Photo: Reuters/Mukesh Gupta)

Over 2 lakh pilgrims have performed the yatra this year which is slated to end on August 7.

The pilgrims offer prayers at a shrine located at 3,888 metres above sea-level which houses an ice stalagmite structure that waxes and wanes with the moon. Devotees believe the ice stalagmite structure symbolises the powers of Lord Shiva.

The pilgrims reach the shrine either from the traditional 46 km long mountain track from the Pahalgam base camp or through the 14 km track from the Baltal base camp.