18 pilgrims die during Char Dham yartra, most due to cardiac issues

Dehradun, May 9: Eighteen Char Dham pilgrims have died on way to the Himalayan temples since the start of the yatra on May 3. Mostly, the cause of death is suspected to be cardiac arrest. In the latest incident, a 40-year-old man from Bengaluru died on Monday on the way to the Yamunotri, taking the number of devotees dying on the way to Himalayan shrine itself to 10.

Considering the fact that the pilgrimage began just around a week ago, the number of deaths of pilgrims is unusually high.

Mahadev Venkata Subramanian of Bengaluru was taken ill on the way to the temple on Monday morning. He was taken to a hospital in Jankichatti where doctors declared him dead. He died of a cardiac arrest, doctors at the hospital said.

A 58-year-old woman from Mumbai had also died on way to Yamunotri on Sunday. Five people have died on way to the Kedarnath temple which opened on May 6 and 3 en route to the Gangotri temple. Asked why so many deaths are occurring on way to the Himalayan shrines this time, Dr Pradeep Bhardwaj of Six Sigma Healthcare which is providing free medical facilities on the Char Dham Yatra route said pilgrims are coming in large numbers to such high altitudes without undergoing acclimatisation before undertaking the journey.

“They are coming directly from low altitudes to places situated at 10,00012,000 ft. How can they cope with such an abrupt climatic change? No medical check-up of pilgrims is being done this time before the start of the journey,” Bhardwaj said.

“Compulsory health check of pilgrims is a must. Only those who are medically fit to undertake the high-altitude journey should be allowed to go ahead. We are ready to provide a health check facility for pilgrims. We have specialist doctors with us who can do it,? he said.

An official in Uttarkashi said the number of deaths is higher this time because a larger number of pilgrims coming this time with no Covid-induced restrictions. Though the state government had put a daily limit on the number of pilgrims visiting the four Himalayan temples also known as Char Dham, it was opposed by priests prompting CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to say there was no daily cap on the number of pilgrims.

FIVE PEOPLE have died on way to the Kedarnath temple which opened on May 6 and three en route to the Gangotri temple. A 58-year-old woman from Mumbai had also died on way to Yamunotri.