Man on Amarnath pilgrimage dies of cardiac arrest

A 27-year-old pilgrim died of cardiac arrest at the 3,880 metre high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, raising the death toll in the ongoing annual pilgrimage to 23, police said.

Ajay Kumar, a resident of Punjab, died of heart attack at the cave shrine last evening, they said.

With Kumar's death, a total of 23 persons, including two porters, have died since the commencement of the yatra on June 15.

Meanwhile, the pilgrims, who paid obeisance at the cave shrine so far has crossed two lakh mark.

A total of 2,02,201 pilgrims visited the shrine till today afternoon, police said.

While, nearly 9,000 more yatris have left for the cave from the twin base camps of Baltal in Ganderbal and Nunwan-Pahalgam in Anantnag districts this morning.

About 4,840 pilgrims proceeded towards the cave from the shortest 16 km Baltal route, 4,100 pilgrims were allowed from the traditional 45 km Pahalgam track, they said.