Lucknow: Former municipal corporator from Lucknow Amit Sonkar had gone to Amarnath with a team of 20 people last week. For several hours after the cloudburst incident, he was not traceable with phones out of reach. However, on late Friday night, he called from a hotel to inform that the entire group from Lucknow along with him were safe.
Ajay Khanna, a resident of Chowk Lucknow has been visiting Amarnath every year for the last 16 years. At the time of tragedy he had just come out of the cave after offering prayers. His son, Anant informed that there were seven others from UP with his father and all are safe. "I tried to contact my father immediately after hearing about the incident but could not. The mobile network was not working and I could talk to him once he reached Baltal base camp late in the night," said Anant.
According to him the entire group from UP had all praise for the Army men who literally picked up people from the debris and saved. Besides, the local Muslim youths who were working as porters did a great job and saved many people, said Anant after talking to his father.
The two organizations from Lucknow that run food stalls and service camp during Amarnath Yatra every year at Baltal and Manigam, informed that almost all the pilgrims from UP have not reached safely to the base camps.
UP‘s Helpline 1070 is functioning in the office of relief commissioner.
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