Two yatris killed in Qazigund accident

Srinagar, July 9: Two Amarnath pilgrims died and five others were injured today in a road accident at Qazigund in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir while a volunteer died due to cardiac arrest at Sheshnag, taking the death toll in this year’s pilgrimage to 17. A private vehicle carrying four Amarnath pilgrims and the driver overturned at Zig Morh in Qazigund area while they were on their way to Srinagar from Jammu, a police official said. While one pilgrim, Surinder Sindha from Ludhiana, died on the spot, another pilgrim Vinod Kumar succumbed to injuries while he was being taken to a hospital. Five others — four pilgrims and the driver of the vehicle – have been admitted to a hospital here, he said. Meanwhile, a 35-year-old sevadar (volunteer), who was working at a community kitchen at Sheshnag, died due to cardiac arrest, the official said adding the deceased was identified as Ajay, a resident of Meerut. With these, the death toll in this year’s pilgrimage — which began on 28 June — has gone up to 17.