2 Amarnath pilgrims die; toll 25

SRINAGAR: Two more pilgrims died of cardiac arrest en route the 3,880 metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, taking the death toll in the yatra to 25, officials said.

Pradeep Kumar (64), a resident of Patna, died of cardiac arrest at Panjtarni camp on Monday, the officials said.

Another pilgrim Satinder Prasad Singh (69) also died of cardiac arrest at Pahalgam on Monday evening. The death took the toll in the yatra up to 25.

The dead also included a CRPF jawan. So far, over 2.5 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine which houses the naturally formed ice-shivlingam in South Kashmir. Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 1,050 pilgrims on Tuesday left for the cave shrine of Amarnath amidst tight security.