Amid simmering tension in the Kashmir Valley after the encounter of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani, local Muslims risked their lives to rescue the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims injured in a road accident and carried them to hospitals.
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The state government had made elaborate security arrangements to shift all the stranded pilgrims in 1612 vehicles from Baltal and 129 vehicles from Pahalgam under tight security arrangements on Monday. As per reports, no fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatra base camp.
Rajiv Mahajan said that Shri Amarnath Ji yatries have been stranded in different locations in Jammu division and in Kashmir for the last four days of turmoil in Kashmir and are facing multiple problems.
The deceased have been identified as the driver of the bus and a pilgrim. “It were the locals of Kashmir who came to our rescue and took the injured ones to the hospital”, Arora said.
“We arranged 1,700 vehicles for about 24,500 yatris to leave for Jammu”. “Those yatris are on their way to Jammu right now”, Ganai said. “Around 25,000 pilgrims are stranded at Baltal”, Tariq Ganaie, Deputy Commissioner of Ganderbal, was quoted saying by The Indian Express.
The Amarnath Yatra, which was suspended from the past two days due to curfew in many parts of Kashmir valley, resumed on Monday. “Don’t talk bad about them, understand them”, Arora exclaims. Some left the state by air as well.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the clashes between protesters and security forces in Kashmir crossed 33, while normal life remained paralysed due to curfew-like restrictions and strike.
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Since Friday night 25 persons, majority teenaged, have died during violent clashes with security forces in different areas of South Kashmir.
