Place facts about Amarnath tragedy before country: Yashwant Sinha to govt

The Opposition's joint candidate for the presidential election Yashwant Sinha on Saturday expressed anguish over the lives lost due to a cloudburst near the Amarnath cave shrine and urged the government to place facts about the incident before the country.

Sinha, who arrived here this morning to seek support for his candidature, was speaking at a meeting with opposition parties of Kashmir.

"I express deep anguish over the loss of life in the Amarnath tragedy. We don't know exactly how many people have been killed but it seems that many lives have been lost," the former Union minister said.

"It is our duty that we try to bring out the truth. The government should place facts about the tragedy before the nation and not hide anything," Sinha said.

At least 16 people have died and 25 have been injured in a flash flood triggered by the cloudburst near the Amarnath cave shrine. Many are feared trapped under the debris, according to officials.

Searches for the missing people continued without a break after tents and community kitchens were swept away by the flash flood and landslides.

The annual Amarnath Yatra, which began on June 30, has been suspended following the tragedy and a decision on its resumption will be taken after rescue operations get over, a senior administration official said.