The Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Thursday, from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes, after continuous heavy rain made the tracks unsafe.
The decision came after a woman pilgrim died and three others were injured in a landslide near Z-mode at Upper Railpathri on the Baltal route. The injured were taken to the Baltal hospital, where the woman was declared dead.
The rain over the past two days has damaged the pilgrimage routes, making them dangerous for travel. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has sent workers and machines to both tracks to carry out urgent repair work. The aim is to resume the Yatra by Friday, July 18.
Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Vijay Kumar Bidhuri said, “Due to continuous rains, urgent repair and maintenance work is needed on the tracks. So, no movement towards the holy cave is allowed from either base camp today.”
Pilgrims who had stayed at the Panjtarni camp overnight are being safely brought down towards Baltal under the watch of BRO staff and Mountain Rescue Teams. The administration has asked all pilgrims to be patient and wait for updates based on the weather.
So far, more than 2.47 lakh pilgrims have visited the holy cave this year. The yatra commenced on July 3 and will end on August 9.
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The yatra is a yearly pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva in the Himalayas in south Kashmir. It draws thousands of devotees from all over India.
The twin routes—via Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal in Ganderbal—are closely monitored during unfavourable weather. Officials have said the yatra will continue as soon as the tracks are repaired and it is safe for pilgrims to travel.
This year’s yatra is being conducted under strict security cover due to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.
