Amarnath yatra: Amid stories of deaths in Bijbehara, one of saviours

WATCH: Injured Amarnath Pilgrims Rescued By Mosque Bound People Of Bijbehara

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Early on Wednesday, the minibus carrying 30 Amarnath pilgrims from Baltal to Jammu collided with a truck at Hamula village of south Kashmir’s Bijbehara town. As the pilgrims cried for help, locals — who were on their way to offer morning prayers — came to their rescue and arranged vehicles to take them to hospital.

“They broke open the door to take us out. They came as god. They saved our lives by giving us blood,” Anil Kumar Arora, one of the pilgrims, told The Indian Express. “I sought help from the yatri and Army vehicles passing by, but none stopped.”

Arpan Kaushik, an injured pilgrim from Meerut, said, “They helped us a lot and stopped cars to take us to hospital.”

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Officials said the driver, Bilal Ahmad Mir, and one pilgrim, Pramod Kumar, were killed in the accident. The 22 injured persons were first taken to the sub-district hospital and later shifted to Shri Maharaja Singh Hospital in Srinagar.

Four youths were killed in Bijbehara town during the protests that began in the Valley since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. On account of the protests, the authorities have allowed movement of Amarnath yatra pilgrims during night hours only.