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9 more pilgrims die; toll touches 98

KT NEWS SERVICE . Dated: 7/24/2012 1:20:36 AM

JAMMU, July 23: Ten more pilgrims, including a couple from Odisha, died en route to the 3,880-metre high holy shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas during the last 24 hours, taking the death toll in the ongoing yatra to 98.
Raghunath Singh and Umesh Shah from Punjab and Lalita Daand from West Bengal died at a hospital after developing complications during the yatra, officials said on Sunday.
H P Buryani (65), a resident of Madhya Pradesh, died of heart attack at Baltal.
The bodies of two unidentified Sadhus were recovered from camps near the holy cave and at Panjtarni on the traditional Pahalgam route.
A pilgrim couple from Orissa, identified as Lakhsmi Priya Sanapati and Kulmani Sanapati, died in an accident near Pathan Colony at Zakoora in the outskirts of the city, the officials said.
Fifty-year-old Ram Babu, a resident of Maharashtra, died of cardiac arrest at Railpathri on shorter Baltal route.
Concerned over the rising number of casualties and lack of basic amenities, the Supreme Court had on July 20 set up a high-powered panel to recommend measures to prevent more deaths.
Mohan Lal, aged 65 years, was returning from the cave shrine after paying obeisance when he suffered a heart attack near a temple in Samba district, police said.
Lal, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, was rushed to the district hospital where he was declared brought dead by doctors.
Jammu and Kashmir governor and the chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board would chair the panel and submit its report by August 10.
Officials said the yatra was going on smoothly and so far over 5.75 lakh pilgrims have offered prayers at the cave shrine housing the naturally formed ice 'shivlingam' since the pilgrimage commenced on June 25.
A total of 5,64,179 pilgrims had visited the cave shrine by last evening, the officials added. The Amarnath yatra will conclude on August 2, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.