Amarnath cloudburst: Five pilgrims from Odisha’s Rayagada stranded, attraction for secure return

By Express News Service

BERHAMPUR: Five pilgrims from Odisha who survived the flash flood triggered by a cloudburst are stranded close to the holy shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir for the final three days.

They have appealed Rayagada district administration to assist them return to their houses. In a video message, the pilgrims Basant Kumar Senapati, Soumya Ranjan Patra, Nihar Ranjan Patra, Ok Rabi Kumar and Tukuna Pradhan have requested to make preparations for his or her secure return.

The Rayagada natives had left their houses for Amarnath on July 1 with an intention to have darshan of Amarnath on July 6. But they received permission for darshan on July 7 because of the massive crowd.

“We returned to the temporary camp on July 8 evening after visiting the shrine when the cloudburst took place at around 5.30 pm. As the flash flood triggered by the cloudburst swept away the tents, we narrowly survived and managed to escape to higher land,” stated Basanta.

As per the instruction of CRPF personnel engaged within the rescue operation on the spot, they needed to trek via powerful and hostile terrain on foot for practically 18 km to Baltal. They wished to return to a resort in Jammu the place they’ve stored their baggage as a result of they misplaced their belongings within the flood. The 5 managed with one-time insufficient meals.

“We do not have travel facility to reach Jammu. We have urged Rayagada district administration to make arrangements for our transportation so that we can reach home,” stated Basanta.

Rayagada Collector Swadha Dev Singh has spoken to her counterpart in Jammu after she got here to know the plight of the 5 pilgrims. “Efforts are on for the safe return of the stranded devotees from Baltal,” she knowledgeable.