Two Amarnath yatris die on their way to holy cave shrine

Two pilgrims died of cardiac arrest enroute to the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in South Kashmir Himalayas, even as over 75,000 pilgrims performed 'darshan' since the commencement of the yatra this month.

Subash Chander (63), a resident of Chandigarh, died of cardiac arrest at Panjtarni along the traditional 45-km Pahalgam-cave route last night, officials said.

Another pilgrim Rama Shanker (58) of Uttar Pradesh died shortly after complaining chest pain near lower holy cave a day earlier, they said.

The annual yatra started on July 2 from the twin routes of Pahalgam and shorter 16-km Baltal track and so far over 75,000 devotees had paid their obeisance at the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-Shivlingam.