21st batch of pilgrims leaves for Amarnath

Another batch of Amarnath pilgrims on Saturday left for the holy cave shrine when the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was reopened after remaining suspended for several hours following a landslide yesterday.

According to PTI, a fresh batch of 1,632 pilgrims, that included 428 women and 50 sadhus, were allowed to move from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for Kashmir under tight security cover, after the traffic authorities had given a green signal.

Another batch of 1,011 pilgrims, including 184 women and 50 sadhus, are heading for the Nunwan base camp to undertake the yatra while the other 621 people, including 244 women, are heading for the Baltal base camp after choosing the 12-km shorter route to the shrine, the officials said.

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed yesterday after a massive landslide at Digdole near Ramban yesterday, left hundreds of vehicles stranded also blocking the pilgrims from going to the holy shrine.

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The road was however cleared and opened for traffic after a massive effort by the locals and soon the normal traffic resumed as all the stranded vehicles moved to their respective destinations

Meanwhile, two Bangladeshi nationals, Mohammad Rafiq-ul-Islam (44) and Mohammad Ashraf Ali (45) were detained by the police, for their suspicious presence near the Bhagwati Nagar base camp yesterday.

They were however released after they were found in possession of valid documents, including passport and registration slips, for the yatra, the officials added.

Somebody had mislead them into undertaking the yatra, assuring that the devotees would help them financially, they said.