Shimla, Aug 25 (PTI) Three pilgrims from Punjab died while en route to Manimahesh in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district, allegedly due to hypoxia (lack of oxygen), officials said on Monday.
The deceased have been identified as Aman (18) and Rohit (18), both residents of Pathankot and Anmol (26) from Gurdaspur.
According to preliminary reports, one pilgrim died on Sunday night, while two died on Monday due to hypoxia. The bodies are being brought to Bharmaur in Chamba and will be handed over to the family members after the postmortem, officials said.
The Manimahesh Yatra, which resumed on Sunday, has been suspended again following rains and landslides in the region, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Bharmaur, Kuldeep Singh Rana, told PTI.
The Manimahesh Yatra runs from August 17 to September 15. The established route to the Manimahesh lake is the Chamba-Bharmour-Hadsar route, which requires a 13 km trek from Hadsar to Manimahesh, with a night halt at Dhancho. There are alternative routes to Manimahesh from the Lahaul-Spiti, Kangra, and Mandi districts.
Additionally, the Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for intense rainfall across isolated areas in the Chamba district on Monday.
Expressing sympathy for the affected families, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu assured that the state government would provide all possible assistance. He directed district administrations to respond promptly to potential landslides, road blockages, or flash floods to ensure that residents do not experience any inconvenience, while also maintaining the flow of essential services.
As a precaution, the Manimahesh Yatra has been temporarily suspended due to adverse weather conditions. The district commissioners of Pathankot and Doda in Jammu and Kashmir have also been advised to keep pilgrims in their districts and to follow all advisories until the weather improves.
The chief minister appealed to the people to avoid going near rivers and nullahs to prevent any accidents, as the Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rains expected in the state over the next 24 hours.