SRINAGAR, July 31: The death toll in the explosion inside a tourist vehicle in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district has risen to four after one more woman succumbed to injuries, even as mystery continues to surround the incident.
Indira Parmar, 73, was in the Intensive Care Unit at SKIMS hospital in Srinagar and died late on Tuesday, doctors said.
Four days ago, an explosion took place inside a tourist cab at Bijbehara, 45 kms from capital Srinagar, resulting in the death of three tourists from Maharashtra state and injuries to five others.
While a police statement said the deaths were caused due to a gas cylinder explosion in the vehicle which was moving from Srinagar to tourist resort Pahalgam, doctors and the victims have a different tale to tell.
A victim, Neeta Jeetwah who received injuries in the leg said “something” was thrown into the vehicle through the window.
“We were just talking about Pahalgam and how it would be like there when something from outside fell into the vehicle. There was a sudden explosion,” she told the Indian Express.
Doctors said none of the victims had burn injuries, which would be expected in case of a cylinder explosion.
“We have been dealing with such cases for decades now,” a doctor, pleading anonymity said.
“This doesn’t seem an injury by a gas cylinder explosion.”
The incident coincided with the visit of Defence Minister A.K. Antony who is in the valley to review the overall security situation. According to media reports Antony was to also discuss removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from parts of the state.
In the past violence has always followed any talks to revoke AFSPA form the state where tens of thousands have died in involving security forces and militants. But, police say they have called for forensic help to ascertain all possibilities what exploded in the vehicle.
Kashmir witnessed a booming tourist this season with visitors from across the country and abroad flocking to the scenic Himalayan state like never before. Tourism is picking up after more than two decades of violence involving security forces and militants which killed tens of thousands in the valley.
