12 Amarnath pilgrims injured after two buses collide in J-K's Anantnag

At least 12 Amarnath pilgrims were injured after two buses collided in Anantnag district of south Kashmir on Saturday. According to reports, the two vehicles collided at Turkush near a railway crossing in Kulgam on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

According to reports, two buses with registration number RJ01TA- 3523 and UP83AT-7777 collided with each other at around 2:20 pm.

12 pilgrims, including several women, suffered injuries. They were evacuated by the locals of the area and admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment. 

Meanwhile, the seventh batch, comprising of 5,124 pilgrims, today left Bhagwati Nagar base camp amid tight security arrangements to pay obeisance at the 3,880-metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

The pilgrims, including 864 women, 187 sadhus (saints) and 19 children, left in a convoy of 226 vehicles under tight security cover and will be reaching the twin base camps of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district later in the day, they said.

Over 70,000 yatris have so far offered their prayers at the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-shivlingam, since the commencement of the 46-day yatra on July 1 from the twin routes -- traditional 36-km Pahalgam and 14-km Baltal.

Of the latest batch, the officials said, 3,130, including 426 women, 19 children and 187 sadhus, are performing yatra through the traditional route, while 1,994 pilgrims, including 438 women and 38 sadhus, have preferred the Baltal track.

The yatra is scheduled to end on August 15 coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan festival. 

With PTI Inputs