Two dead, four injured in landslide on Amarnath route, death toll rises to eight

Amarnath pilgrims/ Image: PTI

New Delhi: Landslide in Jammu Kashmir claimed lives of two pilgrims and injured four others who were en route to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, taking the death toll to eight this year. The landslide occurred on Tuesday near Brarimarg on Baltal route. Rescue teams have been rushed to the spot.

Two dead and four injured in landslide near Brarimarg on Baltal route to Amarnath. Rescue teams at the spot. #JammuAndKashmirhttps://t.co/DklVA2kRqn

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Earlier in the day, it was reported that three pilgrims, including two from Andhra Pradesh died due to various causes, taking the death toll in this year's yatra to six. Thota Radhnam, a 75-year-old woman from Fiwalayam in Andhra Pradesh, died of suspected cardiac arrest in a community kitchen at Baltal base camp this morning, a police official said. Radha Krishna Sastry (65), hailing from Anantpora in Andhra Pradesh, also died due to cardiac arrest at Sangam near the holy cave, the official said. He said the bodies of the deceased pilgrims have been kept at the Baltal base camp hospital for further legal proceedings. A pilgrim, Pushkar Joshi, a resident of Uttarakhand, who was injured due to a shooting stone between Brarimarg and Railpathri yesterday, succumbed at a hospital here early today, the official said. With these, the death toll in this year's yatra has gone up to eight including five pilgrims, one BSF officer, one palanquin carrier and one yatra volunteer. (With PTI inputs)