SRINAGAR, July 27: A bus carrying Hindu worshippers has fallen into a gorge on the Srinagar-Jammu National highway, killing 16, police say.
The worshippers were returning from Amarnath cave, the site of an annual pilgrimage, after rendering voluntary services at a Langar or free meals camp, when the incident happened in Samba district late on Thursday.
Sixteen other pilgrims travelling in the vehicle were injured. They were taken to a local hospital.
Hindus revere Amarnath as the abode of their deity Shiva.
This is the second major incident involving pilgrims returning from the Amarnath cave this month.
On 14 July, 15 pilgrims were killed when a passenger bus returning from the pilgrimage plunged into a gorge near Ramban on a mountain road.
The pilgrims set off from the state’s winter capital, Jammu, for Pahalgam, which serves as base camp for the 45km trek to the cave, 3880m above sea level.
