Srinagar (Reuters) – A flash flood triggered by heavy rains killed 13 people and left at least 30 missing near the Himalayan Hindu cave shrine of Amarnath in Indian Kashmir, an official said here on Friday.
Tens of thousands of Hindus cross glaciers and waterlogged trails to reach the caves, where icy stalagmites are believed to be a physical manifestation of the god Shiva, during the annual pilgrimage.
Kashmir police chief Vijay Kumar said rescue operations have recovered eight bodies after heavy rains near the caves. “Some tents and community kitchens were swept away by the flash floods.”
Another official, who was not authorized to speak to the media, said the death toll was higher, at 13, because five other bodies had been recovered.
He said rescuers had removed several bodies from the rubble.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he was “distressed” and “condolences to the families of the deceased.
“Rescue and relief operations are underway. All possible assistance is being provided to the affected people,” he added.
The cave is covered in snow for most of the year, but as temperatures rise to clear the pass, authorities are allowing pilgrims to visit for 45 days in the summer.
This year’s pilgrimage comes after a two-year hiatus due to the new crown epidemic. After more than 60,000 people have arrived so far in the first 10 days, authorities expect a record number of 800,000 Hindu pilgrims to make it to the holy site.
Indian soldiers armed with automatic assault rifles and wearing bulletproof vests have been guarding the roads since the pilgrimage began in June in the Muslim-majority region.
(Additional reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bangalore; Editing by Richard Chang)