Jammu: Two pilgrims were killed and another was injured Monday after being hit by a boulder from a hillock near the famous Shiv Khori shrine in Reasi district, police said.
The pilgrims were standing in a queue enroute to the cave shrine when they came under the rolling boulder in the Ransoo area of Pouni block around 3 pm, a police official said.
He said two pilgrims – Sarwant Sahani (45) of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and Nirmal Singh (18) from Khawas village of Rajouri district – were killed while Sahani’s younger brother Sahib Sahani (32) was injured and shifted to a hospital.
Shiv Khori, a shrine devoted to Lord Shiva and situated in between the hillocks about 140 kms north of Jammu, is visited by lakhs of devotees from across the country round-the-year.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the tragic shooting stones incident at Shiv Khori in Reasi district.
The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each and the UT government will bear the cost of their treatment, an official communiqué issued here said.
It said the LG expressed grief over the loss of lives during the unfortunate incident and directed the district administration to provide all necessary assistance to the bereaved families and ensure the best possible treatment to the injured.
“Deeply anguished by the loss of precious lives in a tragic incident at Shiv Khori. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones. I pray for the early recovery of the injured,” said the LG.
