2 Amaranth pilgrims die, toll in this year's pilgrimage reaches 25

Two pilgrims died after suffering cardiac arrest on the Baltal route of the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, taking the toll in this year's pilgrimage to 25, police said today.

Pandik Panduraj (60), a resident of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, suffered cardiac arrest near the cave shrine this morning. He was rushed to the medical facility nearby where he was declared brought dead, a police official said.

Another pilgrim, K L Salvi (59), from Udaipur in Rajasthan died due to cardiac arrest at Brarimarg along the Baltal route last night, the official said.

With this, the death toll in this year's pilgrimage -- which began on June 28 -- has gone up to 25.

Meanwhile a pilgrim from Chennai, identified as Ramaswami (64), suffered a fracture in the right leg after falling down while trying to a board a crowded helicopter at Nilgrath along the Pahalgam route, the police official said.

He has been admitted to a hospital here for treatment, the official said.