Farooq Abdullah, President of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, called the Amarnath cloudburst tragedy, in which at least 16 persons perished and numerous were wounded, "unfortunate." Inquiring as to why tents were placed in such a dangerous location, he stated that an investigation is required, news agency ANI reported.
He hoped that the government will pay enough compensation to the relatives of the deceased. "The incident is unfortunate. An investigation into the matter is necessary, govt needs to explain what happened. We also hope good compensation would be provided to families of deceased persons," he was quoted as saying by ANI on its official Twitter handle.
Amarnath Cloudburst Incident
The death toll from the flash flood caused by a cloudburst at Amarnath's sacred cave shrine increased to 16 on Saturday, while about 15,000 stranded pilgrims were relocated to the Panjtarni base camp.
The search for the missing people went on without a pause. According to senior officials, 25 injured pilgrims have been sent to hospitals, and more are still feared to be trapped inside the wreckage.
The Indian Army, in collaboration with national and state authorities, has sent personnel and high-tech equipment to rescue pilgrims. For rescue efforts, nine surveillance detachments equipped with handheld thermal imagers, two through-wall radars, and other equipment are deployed.
The annual pilgrimage, which began on June 30, has been halted following the disaster, and a decision on its resumption will be made once rescue operations are completed, according to a top administration official.
(With Inputs From ANI)