Srinagar: A 69-year-old Amarnath Yatra pilgrim from Bengaluru, Karnataka, passed away on Tuesday after collapsing near the Baltal base camp in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. He reportedly fell unconscious during the course of the pilgrimage and could not be revived despite immediate medical attention.
Cognisance has been taken, and necessary medico-legal formalities have been initiated by the authorities.
Less than a week into the 38-day Amarnath Yatra, authorities have already reported the death of one pilgrim. At the Chandanwari base camp, yatris prepare for a grueling 3-km uphill trek a true test of their devotion. The trail climbs steeply to an altitude of 11,000 feet above sea level, where each step grows heavier, the air thinner, and the challenge more intense.
For years, the route remained untouched a narrow, muddy path carved by nature into the mountainside, barely allowing two pilgrims to pass. Today, the path has been widened and improved. Locking tiles now secure the trail, solar-powered lights illuminate the dark alpine terrain, and safety rails line the edges, offering guidance and protection to the faithful on this demanding spiritual journey.
But this has come at a cost. Where once white glacial streams cascaded in diamond-bright torrents, now mere trickles escape from mounds of rubble. Trees stand mutilated, their branches severed to accommodate the wider paths. The price of progress is written in scars across the landscape.
At the base camp hospital, Dr Nishra Ahmed attends to over a dozen patients who conquered the tough trek. “Most of the patients are suffering from high-altitude sickness,” Dr Ahmed said. “They complain of breathlessness, headaches.
