Rescue operations were underway after a cloudburst occurred near the Amarnath holy cave in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, triggering a flash flood. Thousands of pilgrims who were stranded near the caves have been shifted to the lower base camp of Panjtarni.
“Most of the pilgrims, who were stranded near the holy cave shrine area due to the flash flood that occurred Friday evening, have been shifted to Panjtarni. The evacuation continued till 3.38 am. No pilgrim is left on the track. About 15,000 people have been safely shifted till now,” the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) spokesperson said, PTI reported.
The pilgrimage that began on June 30 has been suspended following the tragedy. About 30-40 people are still missing.