 "37 pilgrims from AP still missing in Amarnath tragedy, 84 people safe")
The number of pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh missing in the Amarnath yatra cloudburst tragedy increased to 37 on Sunday evening as relatives called the authorities and informed that their kin remain untraced.
Till now, 84 pilgrims were reported safe as they came in contact with their relatives as well as authorities, official sources here said.
On Sunday afternoon, the state government said only two women from Rajamahendravaram remained untraced in the Amarnath tragedy.
"Subsequently, we received calls from several persons that their relatives could not be contacted after the cloudburst and flash flood near the holy cave shrine. As per the information, we now have 37 missing cases," a senior official involved with the rescue mission told PTI.
About 29 members in two groups from Nellore, two persons from Eluru, three of a family from Rajamahendravaram and one from Undrajavaram near Tanuku were the latest to be reported missing, in addition to the two women from Rajamahendravaram.
"My colleague and some others went to Amarnath. I last spoke to her on Thursday but after that the contact has been lost. I have called the officials and police even in Jammu. Our Additional Resident Commissioner Himanshu Kaushik spoke to me and informed about the search operation," one Vasudha of Nellore said over phone.
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According to data provided by government sources, of the 20-member team that went to Amarnath from Rajamahendravaram, only two women remained untraced.
"Their husbands returned to Srinagar but the women were still missing. They may have been injured or reached some other place. We are conducting the search operation to trace them," a senior official said.
The local Revenue Divisional Officer visited the kin of the two women in Rajamahendravaram on Sunday and discussed the situation.
A 38-member team from Guntur, a 17-member team from Tadepalligudem, a six-member team from Tirupati and another pilgrim from Vizianagaram were also reported safe.
A few pilgrims from Rajampet in Kadapa district were also reported safe but their number was not clear, according to government data.
State government authorities got in touch with many of the pilgrims, and also their families here, and confirmed that the tourists were safe after the cloudburst and flash flood near the holy cave shrine.
The state government dispatched AP Bhavan Additional Resident Commissioner Himanshu Kaushik to Srinagar to coordinate with the local authorities and ensure safety of the state's pilgrims, an official release here said.
The AP government also opened a dedicated helpline number 1902 to extend required help to pilgrims from the state.
Helplines were also set up in the AP Bhavan in New Delhi for any assistance to pilgrims and their relatives, the release added.
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