One Amarnath Yatri die; toll rises to 23

One more pilgrims died due to cardiac arrest enroute to the 3,880 metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, taking the death toll in the ongoing yatra to 23, officials said today.

Mahesh Prasad (59), a resident of Uttar Pradesh suffered cardiac arrest at Sonamarg, 85 kms from here, last night and died, the officials said.

The latest death raised the toll in the ongoing yatra, which started on July 2, to 23.

The dead also included a CRPF jawan.

So far, over 2.40 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine which houses the naturally formed ice-shivlingam.