Srinagar: In the wake of several accidents on a slippery stretch en route the Amarnath cave shrine, the Jammu and Kashmir governor today deputed an eight-member team of mountaineering experts to assist the movement of pilgrims.
The team from the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering, Pahalgam was deputed in addition to the 20 state police personnel comprising two mobile rescue teams which have already been deployed to assist the pilgrims between Sheshnag and Poshpathri along the traditional Pahalgam route.
The team was deputed after reports of several accidents on the difficult 5km stretch between Sangam Top and the shrine, which becomes extremely slippery when the snows start melting.
Sangam is a point en route to the 3,880m cave shrine where the pilgrims from both the traditional 46km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and shortest 16km Baltal in Ganderbal district meet.
The annual two-month Amarnath yatra commenced from both the routes on July 1 and so far 1,41,232 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the shrine. PTI.