Choppers, dog squads continue rescue ops near Amarnath cave amid fresh rains; death toll touches 15

Preliminary reports suggested that among 15 casualties, seven were women pilgrims

In spite of inclement weather and fresh rains, rescue operations were augmented by helicopter services and dog squads on Saturday morning near the Amarnath cave shrine, where the death toll due to flash floods has risen to 15 and scores remain missing.

Sources said two military helicopters, carrying rescue equipment and dog squads, managed to land near the cave shrine between 6:45 am and 7:15 am.

Preliminary reports suggested that among 15 casualties, seven were women pilgrims. Around 60 people were in the area where flash floods hit tents, community kitchens and kiosks on Friday afternoon, officials said. Six rescued pilgrims were being treated at an Army medical camp at Nilagrar helipad.

An official said multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), J&K Police and Army and CRPF, were sifting through the debris.

“A search is on for the missing pilgrims, who were washed away when tents were hit by gushing waters near the cave shrine,” an official said.

In Srinagar, the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) hospital has kept its helipad ready and special wards were set up to attend to the injured pilgrims. The Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, director Dr. M. A. Rather said, “The department is in ready mode to face any kind of eventuality”. 

According to an official spokesman, the cause of flash floods is a cloudburst that occurred near the cave shrine on the Baltal axis in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. Many stranded pilgrims were shifted on the Pahalgam axis to descend towards the Nunwan base camp in south Kashmir’s Anantnag. The cave shrine has twin routes, the traditional route of Pahalgam and the non-traditional route of Baltal.