Returning home, Amarnath Yatri dies on Sgr-Jmu NH

Ramban: An Amarnath yatri died on Thursday in a vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway while he was returning home to Uttar Pradesh after paying obeisance at the Amarnath cave shrine.

Police said that while returning to his native place in Saharanpur, UP, he died in a vehicle at Dalwass area of Ramban on the highway.

It said that the yatri suffered a heart attack in the vehicle he was travelling back home.

He was immediately rushed to District Hospital Ramban where doctors declared him dead.

Police identified him as Kashi Ram, 62, son of Parkash Chand of Mohit Vihar Colony, Saharanpur, UP.

Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Ramban, Dr Verender Trisal said that the hospital received the body of an Amarnath yatri.

He said that the yatri had died due to cardiopulmonary disorder.

Deputy Commissioner (DC), Ramban, Mussarat Islam said an ambulance was deputed to shift the mortal remains of the deceased yatri to Jammu. 

Meanwhile the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open for two-way traffic of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) carrying Amarnath yatris and tourists and one-way traffic of Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) for Kashmir on Thursday.

However, traffic movement remains slow due to the breakdown of eight HMVs and a single road stretch at Dalwass, Mehar-Cafeteria, Ramban, and other places between Nashri and Banihal.

Traffic officials in Ramban said that a huge presence of traffic had been witnessed on the highway since the last few days and traffic was being cleared on a one-way basis on the narrow road stretches due to which traffic movement remained slow.

They said that the highway remained open and hundreds of vehicles carrying Amarnath yatris and tourists crossed the Nashri-Banihal sector for their respective destinations.

The traffic officials said HMVs released from Udhampur headed towards Kashmir in a regulated manner.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police Department issued a fresh advisory for Friday stating that subject to fair weather and road clearance Amarnath Yatra convoy and LMVs would be allowed to ply on either side of the highway while HMVs would be allowed to ply from Qazigund, Kashmir towards Jammu after assessing road and traffic situation on the highway on Friday.

The cut-off timings for Kashmir-bound LMVs other than Amarnath Yatra convoy and tourists have been fixed from 6 am to 12 pm from Nagrota, Jammu, and from 7 am to 1 pm from Jakhani, Udhampur.

The cut-off timings for Jammu-bound LMVs has been fixed from 11:30 am to 2 pm from Qazigund, Kashmir on Friday.