Srinagar, Jul 17: The annual Amarnath Yatra was temporarily suspended on Thursday from Jammu as well as the twin routes of Baltal and Pahalgam due to persistent rainfall and challenging weather conditions. Despite the suspension, more than 9,000 pilgrims managed to offer prayers at the holy cave.
An official told Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that no fresh batch was allowed to proceed from Jammu toward the base camps. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has deployed additional teams and equipment to repair damaged tracks along the Yatra routes.
“Because of continuous rain in recent days, both routes require urgent repairs. Therefore, movement toward the cave was halted today. However, pilgrims who had stayed overnight at the Panjtarni camp were allowed to return toward Baltal under the supervision of BRO and Mountain Rescue Teams. The Yatra may resume tomorrow, depending on weather conditions,” said Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri.
This is the first time this season that the pilgrimage was suspended from both Jammu and the two key routes simultaneously.
Despite the disruptions, 9,020 pilgrims performed darshan at the cave shrine today. Among them were 6,345 men, 2,232 women, 132 children, 112 sadhus, 12 sadhvis, and two transgender devotees. Additionally, 185 security personnel also offered prayers.
Since the Yatra began on July 3, a total of 2,56,233 pilgrims have visited the sacred cave, according to officials.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army rescued around 500 pilgrims stranded due to a landslide triggered by continuous rain at Z Morh, located between Rayalpathri and Brarimarg.
“At around 7:25 pm yesterday, heavy rainfall caused a landslide, halting Yatra movement and leaving a large number of pilgrims stranded,” said Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, a defence spokesperson based in Jammu.
Army personnel stationed at Brarimarg responded swiftly, arranging tents, tea, and drinking water for the stranded pilgrims. Around 3,000 more devotees took shelter at nearby langars between Brarimarg and Z Morh.
In a separate rescue effort, Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) of the Army carried out a manual stretcher evacuation of a critically ill pilgrim under tough weather conditions, transferring the individual safely to Rayalpathri, from where an ambulance took over.
The camp director at Brarimarg and the Army company commander are monitoring the situation, which is currently stable and under control. Light rainfall is expected in the area, and the Army remains on alert to respond to any emergencies.
