DEHRADUN: A 63-year-old pilgrim returning with the second batch of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra died after suffering a suspected heart attack at Nabhidhang in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district on Tuesday, officials said.
It was the second death linked to the batch within two days, after a Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) cook died in China on Monday night, reportedly following a cardiac arrest.
Dharchula Sub-Divisional Magistrate Ashish Joshi said the second batch crossed into India through Lipulekh at 8.45 am on Tuesday. Jaipur resident Gauri Shankar Khandelwal developed breathing difficulty during the crossing and was rushed to the Army's medical inspection room at Nabhidhang.
"Doctors examined him but declared him dead," Joshi told TNIE. "His body was taken to Gunji and later airlifted by helicopter to Pithoragarh, where a post-mortem examination was conducted at the district hospital."
Khandelwal's wife, Nisha, was accompanying him on the pilgrimage.
Earlier, Jeevan Ram, a Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) cook from Chhana Khorkota in Almora district, died at Gunfu in China on Monday night.
His family reached Dharchula after being informed and took his body to Almora following the post-mortem examination on Tuesday.
According to Chinese authorities, Ram suffered a heart attack after his oxygen saturation fell sharply.
The back-to-back fatalities have renewed concern over the health risks faced by pilgrims and support staff on the arduous trans-Himalayan route.
Both deaths have been attributed to heart attacks, with low oxygen cited as a factor in Ram's case. Movement across the remote mountain sector also depends heavily on weather, road conditions and helicopter access, making swift evacuation difficult when emergencies occur at isolated high-altitude locations along the route.
Meanwhile, two batches have returned to India after completing the pilgrimage, while the third remains in China. The fourth batch has left for Tibet. The fifth was halted at Tawaghat after boulders fell on the route and will proceed only after the road is restored, officials said.
The Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage passes through extremely high-altitude terrain, where thin air and reduced oxygen can trigger serious health complications.
Mansarovar Lake lies at an elevation of more than 15,000 feet above sea level.
Officials advise pilgrims and support staff to remain alert to symptoms such as breathlessness, dizziness and chest pain, as rapid medical intervention can be critical.
