A cloudburst near the holy shrine in Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir
A massive volume of water rushed down from the mountains near the holy cave of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir after a cloudburst today, videos show. Officials have asked people at public areas at the base of the holy cave to move to higher ground for safety. No casualties have been reported.
"So far no casualty has been reported," Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbagh Singh told NDTV.
Due to heavy rain and a cloudburst near the holy cave of Amarnath, people in Gund and Kangan have been asked to stay away from the river Sindh, officials said. The water level in the river may suddenly rise and the currents might become very strong due to the cloudburst, they said.
Except the security forces, whose camps are located at the base of the hill that leads to the shrine, few people are around. The Amarnath Yatra was cancelled for a second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 56-day Amarnath Yatra was scheduled to start simultaneously on the only two routes from June 28 and end on Raksha Bandhan, August 22. "It's important to save people's lives. So, it is not advisable to hold and conduct this year's pilgrimage in the larger public interest," the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor had tweeted.