Jammu: A batch of 226 yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here Wednesday to pay obeisance at the 3880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir, officials said.
The 34th batch left in a convoy of nine vehicles amid heavy security of the paramilitary CRPF, they said.
According to officials, 74 yatris heading for Baltal were the first to leave the Jammu base camp in three vehicles followed by the second convoy of six vehicles carrying 152 yatris for Pahalgam.
Officials attribute the fall in the number of yatris visiting the Amarnath Cave to twin factors – poor weather conditions and the yatra inching towards its conclusion.
A total of 1,43,919 yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for Kashmir since June 29.
A total of 36 people, mostly yatris, died during the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.
Additionally, 15 yatris died in the flash floods at the cave shrine on July 1.