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Amarnath pilgrims’ toll reaches 88

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 7/20/2012 3:11:18 AM

Poor health, fake medical certificates behind pilgrims death: SASB

JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Jul 19: Three pilgrims died enroute the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in South Kashmir, taking the death toll in the ongoing yatra to 88, informed SASB officials here today.
The pilgrims were identified as Naveen Kucha (42), a resident of Madhya Pradesh, complained breathlessness while crossing Sangam top and was rushed to a makeshift hospital where he was declared brought dead, they added.
Meanwhile, body of an unidentified pilgrim was recovered from a tent at Baltal on Wednesday. Efforts are on to establish his identity. Another yatri A N S Molly of Andhra Pradesh died of heart failure at the cave last evening.
Where as, amid tight security arrangements, a fresh batch of 2,317 pilgrims today left for the Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The pilgrims comprising 1,760 men, 383 women, 24 children and 150 sadhus left in a cavalcade of 61 vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu at around 0500 hours for Amarnath.
The convoy of yatra has already crossed Chanderkote on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway towards base camps of Pahalgam in Kashmir Valley.
With today's batch, as many as 82,963 pilgrims have left Jammu for their onward journey to the cave shrine.
The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) said doctors investigating into the deaths of 17 pilgrims between June 26 and July 16 had pointed out that seven victims were old with ailments and 10 others could not bear the harsh climate and high altitude conditions.
The board, which met here to discuss fatalities during the pilgrimage this year, also said that fake medical certificates were being issued outside the state.
During the meeting, chaired by SASB chairman and governor NN Vohra, a detailed account of medical problems of the pilgrims, which emerged during the first 24 days of the pilgrimage, was taken up.
The SASB said it was alarmed by the deaths this year as the toll had already crossed 86 in 24 days. Last year, 107 had died in 45 days.SASB chief executive officer (CEO) Navin Chaudhary said the report was received from Dr Manmeet Singh, in-charge medical officer at the holy cave. The doctors examined 17 victims of whom seven were between 60 and 72-year-old.
The doctors' team said that all the 17 had died near the shrine. "We examined to ascertain the cause of deaths," the report said. "The remaining 10 in the 24-59 years age group could not bear the harsh climate and the high altitude conditions," the report said.
Most deceased had come ill-prepared for the pilgrimage in terms of proper clothing. "Most of them believed in a dip in ice-cold water before darshan, in fasting for three days before worshipping the cave, which causes Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) - a condition that can be fatal for diabetics who take their medicines at the time of fasting," the report said.
The doctors have also said that registered medical practitioners (RMP) from outside the state had issued medical certificates to medically unfit pilgrims. "Majority of deaths could be due to either high altitude pulmonary Oedema, which occurs due to ascent to more than 10,000 feet over a very short period of time, or hypothermia, both of which are fatal, once they occur," said the report.
"Of the deaths that have occurred amongst the younger yatris in the holy cave area, the doctors have pointed to cases of Yatris who, despite suffering from serious ailments and being unfit for high altitude travel, had been able to secure medical certificates from registered medical practitioners outside the state," an SASB spokesperson said.
Chhari Mubarak
'Chhari Mubarak', the saffron-robed holy mace of Lord Shiva, was taken to the historic Shankaracharya temple in Srinagar for prayers as part of the ongoing Amarnath yatra.
Mahant Deependra Giri, the custodian of the mace, carried the Chhari Mubarak from its abode Dashnami Akhara at Badshah Chowk to Shankaracharya temple this morning, officials said. Accompanied by a group of sadhus and pilgrims, Giri offered special prayers to the mace at the temple, coinciding with 'Shravan-Amavasya' (Haryali-Amavasya) as per age-old traditions. "Pujan was performed at the temple amid chanting of vedic hymns by the participants during prayers that lasted for more than an hour," the officials said.
'The True Trust', founded in year 2004 by Mahant Deependra Giri, said all the necessary arrangements would be made for sadhus and the needy coming from across the country to join Chhari-Mubarak Swami Amarnath Ji Yatra. Chhari Mubarak will be taken to 'Sharika-Bhawani' Temple at Hari Parvat in interior city tomorrow to pay obeisance to the Goddess ahead of its joining the Amarnath yatra later this month.
The yatra commenced on June 25 from the twin tracks-- traditional 45-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and 16 km Baltal route in Ganderbal district and is scheduled to end on August 2 with the arrival of the Chhari mubarak at the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas on the occasion of Raksha Bhandan festival. So far over five lakh pilgrims have offered prayers at the cave shrine.