Three more pilgrims die while on way to Amarnath shrine

Three more pilgrims including a Sadhu died on Thursday en-route to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the death toll in the ongoing yatra to eight, officials said.

A 59-year-old sadhu, hailing from Tamil Nadu, died at Baltal base camp hospital in Ganderbal district shortly after he was admitted there after complaining breathlessness, they said. The officials said another pilgrim identified as Balwant Singh (43), a resident of Haryana, died at the holy cave of cardiac arrest this afternoon. Another pilgrim was found dead en-route to the cave shrine. Police is trying to ascertain his identity and cause of death, the officials said.

With latest deaths, a total of eight pilgrims have died since the 44-day yatra commenced on June 28.

So far, over 65,000 pilgrims have visited the shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-Shivalingam, and paid their obeisance.