IAF evacuates 34 injured Amarnath pilgrims to Srinagar; L-G visits Nunwan base camp

By PTI

SRINAGAR: The Indian Air Force (IAF) evacuated 34 injured pilgrims from the medical facility at the Amarnath yatra base camp to a hospital here on Sunday.

“An additional 34 injured pilgrims were evacuated by IAF Mi-17 V5 and Cheetal helicopters on Sunday,” a defence spokesperson said here.

He said the IAF choppers also airlifted 20 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, along with six canines, from Srinagar to take part in the search operation to trace the missing people believed to be stuck under debris.

Flash floods triggered by heavy rain struck near the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas on Friday, leaving at least 15 people dead and more than 30 missing.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday visited the Nunwan base camp at Pahalgam to oversee efforts for the resumption of Amarnath yatra which has been suspended in the aftermath of the flash floods on July 8, officials said.

A flash flood triggered by a cloudburst near the cave shrine on Friday afternoon has led to the death of least 16 people.

Around 40 people are still missing.

Sinha will camp overnight at Nunwan to oversee rescue and relief operations and efforts being made to resume the yatra as soon as possible, an official spokesperson said.

Sinha also interacted with yatris staying there and reviewed arrangements at healthcare facilities and ‘langars’, the official added.

Interacting with the pilgrims, Sinha observed that providing better facilities to them is the government’s top priority.

He said dedicated measures are being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the pilgrims.

The Lt Governor lauded the efforts and swift action of the Army, CAPFs, NDRF and civil administration during the rescue and relief operation for saving precious lives.

Earlier, during the meeting with officials at the Nunwan Base camp, Sinha was briefed about the rescue and relief operations, debris clearance, deployment of machinery and manpower, and camp-wise breakdown of pilgrims, besides arrangements and efforts put in to facilitate the pilgrims, the official added.