By IANS,
Srinagar : One pilgrim died of suffocation and another fell unconscious as enthusiastic devotees crowded inside the Amarnath cave here Thursday.
Prabhakar Tripathi, spokesman of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), told IANS: “One pilgrim died of suffocation and another was unconscious.”
The CRPF is handling the security at the shrine of Hindu god Shiva located at an altitude of 11,000 feet. Reports said there was a stampede inside the cave as the crowd of devotees became unmanageable.
The two-month long annual pilgrimage to the shrine began here Wednesday. So far, over 22,000 devotees have already visited the cave while over 200,000 devotees from different parts of the country have registered themselves for the pilgrimage this year.