BERHAMPUR: Five pilgrims from Odisha who survived the flash flood triggered by a cloudburst and were stranded near the holy shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir for the last three days are on their way back home.
The Rayagada administration on Sunday informed the stranded persons from the district are safe in Jammu and already on their way back. “District administration is in contact with them and their family,” tweeted Collector Swadha Dev Singh from the official handle.
Earlier, the stranded pilgrims had appealed Rayagada administration to help them return. In a video message, the pilgrims, Basant Kumar Senapati, Soumya Ranjan Patra, Nihar Ranjan Patra, K Rabi Kumar and Tukuna Pradhan, requested arrangements for their safe return. The Rayagada natives had left on July 1 to have darshan at the Amarnath shrine on July 6.
But due to a large crowd, they got permission for darshan only on June 7. “We returned to the temporary camp on July 8 evening after visiting the shrine when the cloudburst took place at around 5.30 pm. As the flash flood triggered by the cloudburst swept away the tents, we narrowly survived and managed to escape to higher ground,” said Basanta.
As per the instruction of CRPF personnel engaged in the rescue operation at the spot, they had to trek through hostile terrain for nearly 18 km to Baltal. They wanted to return to a hotel in Jammu where they kept their luggage because they lost their belongings in the flood. The five had to manage with a one-time meal.