No link between DGEME Lt Gen Sahni and Thailand assault video, says Army
The clarification came after several posts circulated online, falsely linking a viral video from Thailand to the senior Indian Army officer.
A woman pilgrim was killed after being hit by a shooting stone on the Baltal route, while the Indian Army rescued about 3,500 Amarnath pilgrims who were stranded due to landslides and heavy rains on the yatra route.
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The authorities on Thursday suspended the pilgrimage from both routes for a day due to landslides and heavy rains. The stranded pilgrims have been accommodated in tents and other places.
Videos have surfaced on social media where landslides can be seen happening due to rain. Terrified pilgrims can be seen clinging to the railing of the path leading to the cave shrine.
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A defence spokesman said on Thursday that “amidst continuing inclement weather in the higher reaches of Jammu & Kashmir, the Indian Army has once again displayed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the lives of Amarnath Yatris”.
“On the evening of 16 July 2025, at approximately 1915 hrs, persistent rainfall triggered a landslide at Z Morh, between Rayalpathri and Brarimarg, resulting in the halting of Yatra movement and stranding a large number of pilgrims”, the spokesman said.
“In immediate response, the Army detachment deployed at Brarimarg swung into action. Around 500 Yatris stranded in the area were accommodated in tents and provided with tea and drinking water. Additionally, another 3000 pilgrims found refuge in langars located between Brarimarg and Z Morh, which offered essential shelter and sustenance”.
“A particularly critical case involved a sick pilgrim stranded between two landslide-prone zones at Rayalpathri. Indian Army Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) undertook a challenging manual stretcher evacuation under adverse weather conditions and safely transported the patient to Rayalpathri, from where an ambulance moved the individual for further medical care”, the spokesman said.
“The camp director at Brarimarg and the company commander of the Indian Army are present at the site and have assessed the situation as stable and under control. Efforts continue to ensure the safety and well-being of all Yatris in the area.
“The weather at both Rayalpathri and Brarimarg is reported as lightly raining, and the Army remains on high alert to respond to any evolving situation”, the Army spokesman said.
He added, “These prompt actions are yet another testament to the Indian Army’s professionalism, dedication, and humanitarian commitment during Amarnath Yatra 2025, standing shoulder to shoulder with every pilgrim through every challenge”.
Meanwhile, the Amarnath Yatra was suspended for Thursday from both the Pahalgam and Baltal base routes, said Kashmir’s divisional commissioner, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri.
Heavy and continuous rains over the last two days have necessitated restoration work to be carried out on tracks along both routes.
Border Roads Organization has made a heavy deployment of its men and machinery on the tracks to complete the work before Yatra can be resumed from the two base camps on Friday, he said.
“Due to the continuous rains over the last couple of days, urgent repair and maintenance works are required to be carried out on the tracks. Therefore, it has been decided that no movement shall be allowed towards the Holy Cave from the two base camps today.
”However, pilgrims who stayed at Panjtarni camp during the preceding night are being allowed to proceed down to Baltal under adequate deployment of BRO and Mountain Rescue Teams”.
The Yatra shall resume in all likelihood tomorrow, depending upon the weather conditions during the course of the day, Bidhuri added.
The 38-day pilgrimage has so far recorded over 2.47 lakh pilgrims paying obeisance at the Holy Cave Shrine during the Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2025.
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