The death of 67 Amarnath pilgrims, mostly due to cardiac arrest, in just 17 days of the yatra to the holy cave in South Kashmir Himalayas, has left the Board managing the pilgrimage worried. It has asked the authorities to address all health-related issues.
Although 105 persons died during the 45-day yatra last year which was highest due to natural causes, the high number of deaths in the first two weeks of the pilgrimage this year has the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), which is headed by Governor, Mr N. N. Vohra, worried. Officials of the State Health Department, which is running dozens of medical camps along the routes, said in many cases the pilgrims were found to be in possession of fake fitness certificates.