Over 19,000 Offer Prayers At Amarnath Shrine; 47 Pilgrims Escape Unhurt As Bus Catches Fire In Ramban

JAMMU, Jul 17: More than 19,000 pilgrims offered prayers at the Amarnath cave shrine on Thursday, taking the total number of devotees who have completed the pilgrimage this year to over 3.43 lakh. Meanwhile, 47 pilgrims from Rajasthan had a narrow escape after their bus caught fire on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban district. Officials said 19,357 pilgrims paid obeisance at the 3,888-metre-high Himalayan shrine on the 14th day of the pilgrimage through the Baltal and Pahalgam routes. With this, the cumulative number of pilgrims visiting the holy cave since the Yatra began on July 3 has reached 3,43,882. The bus carrying 47 pilgrims, including the driver and conductor, was returning to Jammu from Srinagar after the devotees had completed the pilgrimage when it caught fire near Karool in Ramban district. According to officials, passengers noticed smoke after one of the bus’s tyres reportedly burst. They immediately evacuated the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames. Personnel from the Police, CRPF, Army, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, and Civil Quick Response Team (QRT) rushed to the spot and launched rescue and firefighting operations. Ramban Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Alyas Khan said all 47 occupants escaped safely and were shifted to another bus for their onward journey to Jammu. The fire completely destroyed the bus. While the exact cause is under investigation, preliminary reports suggest the blaze may have started after the tyre burst. Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was briefly disrupted during the rescue operation before being restored. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reviewed the situation and spoke with the Deputy Commissioner and senior officials, directing them to provide all necessary assistance to the affected pilgrims. In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor said that all pilgrims were safe and instructed the district administration to ensure their secure onward journey. Meanwhile, under tight security, the 15th batch of 5,201 pilgrims departed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam. The batch included 3,970 men, 1,124 women, 92 sadhus, nine sadhvis, five children, and one transgender pilgrim, travelling in 251 escorted vehicles. Officials said 1,745 pilgrims left for Baltal in 74 vehicles at 3 a.m., while 3,456 pilgrims departed for Pahalgam in 177 vehicles at 3:30 a.m. With Thursday’s departure, 1,04,488 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for Kashmir since the Yatra commenced on July 2. The 57-day Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 28.