BANIHAL/JAMMU: Over 2,000 Amarnath pilgrims, who were part of the third batch, were on Friday left stranded on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway as heavy rains triggered landslides at several places, disrupting smooth flow of traffic, officials said.
Braving heavy rains, the third batch of 2,876 pilgrims, including 544 women, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a convoy under tight security cover for Amarnath, but faced frequent stoppage due to blocking of the 260-km highway by landslides.
Officials said 2,032 pilgrims, including 315 women, who have opted for the traditional 36-km Pahalgam route, were stopped in Udhampur district and would proceed towards their destination on Saturday morning provided the road is traffic worthy.