Daijiworld Media Network - Jammu

Jammu, Jul 11: After the Amarnath Yatra was resumed on Monday, it was again suspended due to heavy rainfall at Panjtarni and near the holy cave. A fresh batch of pilgrims left for Kashmir valley from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp of Jammu at 5 am on Monday.

A cloudburst that triggered flash floods on Friday near the cave had claimed 16 people lives and around 40 people are still missing.

Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Avny Lavasa, had asked all the Yatris registered on or before July 11 to move to the Bhagwati Nagar base camp.

Government sources had earlier told that the local administration was keen to restart the Amarnath Yatra by Monday or Tuesday. “There should not be unnecessary hurdles for people who are already booked for the trip," the sources said, adding that officials also felt assured about the road conditions to begin the Yatra again.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday visited the Nunwan base camp at Pahalgam to oversee efforts for the resumption of Amarnath yatra. Sinha will camp overnight at Nunwan to oversee rescue and relief operations and efforts being made to resume the yatra as soon as possible, an official spokesperson said. Sinha also interacted with yatris staying there and reviewed arrangements at healthcare facilities and ‘langars’, the official added.

Meanwhile, rescuers said hopes of finding those missing in the Amarnath flash floods alive are fading by the hour despite making last-ditch efforts to look for any survivor. “The rescue operations are going on as personnel from various agencies are clearing the debris in the hope of finding any survivor," a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) official told PTI. “We are still hopeful but anyone still alive under that debris will be a miracle," the official added. Besides sniffer dogs, the rescuers are also using hand-held thermal imagers and other sophisticated devices to check for any sign of life under the mounds of debris.