Fresh batch leaves for Valley

STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A 36-year-old Amarnath Yatra pilgrim died and three others were injured when a private vehicle hit them on the Jammu-Lakhanpur highway in Samba District on Friday, a police official said.
A group of pilgrims, hailing from Etah District of Uttar Pradesh, were walking when a private car driven by a person called Bhuvin Dubey hit them near Bari Brahmana flyover, the official said.
He said four pilgrims were injured in the accident and were immediately rushed to hospital, where one of them, identified as Mukendra Singh, succumbed to injuries.
The condition of another pilgrim, Chander Paul, is stated to be critical , he said, adding Veeri Singh and Ram Paul escaped with minor injuries but are still undergoing treatment. The mishap took place when it was raining heavily, the official said, adding the driver of the car, a local resident, was arrested and a case was registered against him.
Meanwhile, amid tight security, a fresh batch of 3,451 pilgrims this morning left for Kashmir to undertake the annual Amarnath Yatra, the police said.
The pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp here in two separate convoys for the twin Base Camps of Pahalgam in Anantnag District and Baltal in Ganderbal District in the early hours, a police official said.
While 2,281 pilgrims are performing the Yatra from the traditional 36-km Pahalgam track, 1,170 pilgrims have opted for the shortest 12-km Baltal route.
The official said the pilgrims left in 110 vehicles amid rains which lashed wide parts of the State this morning.