Tragedy struck Amarnath on Thursday night as 16 pilgrims died and another 19 were injured in a road accident in the district of Samba, about 50 km from the city of Jammu.
According to the injured driver, the vehicle carrying 40 people lost control of its balance at the speed it was travelling at and rolled down a deep gorge near Zamoorha Morh, killing 12 people on the spot.
"I don't remember the place of accident. But the driver was driving at very high speed and he applied brakes suddenly and the truck skidded off the road. I don't remember what happened after that," said one of the injured passengers, according to the Hindustan Times.
Police and army personnel reached the spot upon receiving information of the accident and rushed the injured to nearby hospitals. Two passengers succumbed to their injuries at a district hospital in Samba, while two others died on their way to Government Medical College.
Most of the passengers, who were killed in the accident, were returning from Baltal base camp, where they set up community kitchens for pilgrims.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra expressed grief over the tragic deaths and ordered a probe into the cause of such road accidents in the state, the publication said.
Thursday's incident was the second major road mishap involving Amarnath pilgrims this month. On July 14, an SRTC bus plunged into a gorge near Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, killing 15 pilgrims onboard the bus.
