In just 17 days after the pilgrimage to the holy cave in south Kashmir Himalayas has begun, 67 pilgrims died due to cardiac arrest. This has caused the Board that manages the pilgrimage to worry and has issues orders to its authorites to attend to all the issues related to the health of the pilgrims

The 45 day yatra in 2011 has witnessed the highest deaths, 105, due to natural causes. The high number of deaths in the initial days of the tour worries the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board SASB worried greatly.

Cardiac arrest at high altitudes due to the lower oxygen content is one of the most natural causes of death in the pilgrims.

Officials of the state health department who have set up numerous camps on the tour have identified several pilgrims with fake fitness certificates.

The pilgrimage would end on August 2, which coincides with Rakhsa Bandhan.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah, has tweeted "It (is) on account of age, poor fitness and lack of any acclimatisation," when he was asked about the cause of deaths.

4.5 lakh pilgrims had registered for the holy tour, while there are many others who have gained access without making any registrations. Such pilgrims can make use of 6 on the spot registration centres opened by the SASB.

A Special Cardiac Care Unit, which is well equipped with nebulisers, laryngoscopes, ambubags, ET tube, CPR Mask, defibrillator, patient monitoring system, suction system, advanced oxygen concentrators and emergency drugs, has been established for the first time this year.

AW- Anil