At least 25 pilgrims going for the Amarnath yatra were injured on Saturday when several buses met with an accident near the Chanderkote langar site in Ramban district, Jammu and Kashmir. The injured yatris were discharged after first aid.
According to reports, the accident happened when the driver of one bus lost control, possibly due to brake failure. This led to a chain collision involving three more buses that were travelling in the same convoy towards Pahalgam.
Police and health teams reached the spot quickly. All the injured were taken to the district hospital in Ramban. Most of them had minor injuries.
Ramban Deputy Commissioner Ilyas Khan visited the hospital. New buses have been arranged so the pilgrims can continue their journey. An investigation into the accident is underway.
This year’s Amarnath Yatra is happening under tight security because of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, where 25 tourists and one local horse ride operator were killed. Since then, security agencies have arranged a layered security for the yatra.
For the first time, facial recognition systems (FRS) have been installed on both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. These cameras are connected to a database containing photos of known militants and suspects.
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All pilgrims and vehicles must now use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. These tags help track their location in real-time, so security teams can quickly respond if someone goes missing or if there is an emergency.
Hundreds of CCTV cameras have also been installed along the route, in camps and at checkpoints. In some places, artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to detect unusual behaviour or suspicious movement.
The Amarnath Yatra is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimages. It involves a journey to the Amarnath Cave in south Kashmir, where a Shivling formed from natural ice is worshipped. Every year, lakhs of people take part in the yatra. Authorities are working around the clock to make sure the pilgrimage continues smoothly and safely.