At least 13 dead after a heavy downpour floods a sacred cave in northern India

July 8. (EUROPA PRESS) –

At least thirteen people have died and another 40 are missing after a shrine located in the sacred cave of Amarnath in the Jammu and Kashmir region of northern India was flooded due to heavy rains.

The violent downpour has begun to fall this Friday around 5:30 a.m. local time, also destroying the camp that had been set up outside the sanctuary, which is believed to be about 5,000 years old and has a privileged space within ancient hindu mythology.

Despite the fact that “the rains continue”, the havoc and the fatalities, the authorities of the region have assured that not only “the situation is under control”, but they do not rule out “resuming” the religious services from this Saturday “the weather improves and improvised arrangements are made” in the grotto, says the NDTV network.

The pilgrimage to this sanctuary began on June 30, after two years interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this week it had to be suspended due to bad weather. It is estimated that more than 72,000 pilgrims will travel to the place until August 11, when it ends.