At least 16 people have died after sudden rains caused flooding during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine in Indian Kashmir, a government official said on Saturday.
More than two dozen people have been reported missing and rescue operations are underway. “Civilian and military helicopters are conducting tireless missions to rescue the wounded and the dead,” said a spokesman for the Indian Defense Ministry in Srinagar.
The authorities suspended the pilgrimage until further notice.
During the annual pilgrimage, tens of thousands of Hindus cross glaciers and flooded trails to reach the cave, which contains an ice stalagmite that is thought to be the physical manifestation of the god Shiva.
The cave is covered in snow for most of the year, but authorities allow pilgrims to visit it for 45 days during the summer, when high temperatures open the passages.
This year’s pilgrimage is being held after a gap of two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Authorities were expecting a record 800,000 Hindu pilgrims at the shrine, after more than 60,000 in the first ten days.
Source: CNN Brasil
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