On Saturday morning, July 5, 2025, at least 36 Amarnath pilgrims sustained minor injuries after five buses in their convoy collided in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir. The accident occurred near Chanderkote, along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, around 8 a.m.. The buses were part of a convoy traveling from Jammu's Bhagwati Nagar to the Pahalgam base camp for the annual pilgrimage.
According to officials, the collision occurred when the brakes failed on one of the buses, causing it to ram into four other stationary buses. The convoy had stopped for breakfast when the accident happened. Kulbir Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Ramban, stated that the initial assessment suggests brake failure in the last bus as the primary cause of the pile-up. The last bus was a private bus from Madhya Pradesh.
Most of the injured pilgrims sustained minor injuries and received initial treatment at the district hospital. Ramban Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Alyas Khan said that government officials present at the site immediately transported the injured to the hospital. After receiving first aid, the pilgrims were discharged and continued their journey to the 3,880-meter cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The deputy commissioner also mentioned that the pilgrims were later shifted to other vehicles to continue their journey.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha acknowledged the incident in a statement, confirming that 36 pilgrims sustained minor injuries. He expressed gratitude that all devotees were safe and emphasized the government's priority is the safety of all pilgrims. Sinha also directed officials to implement comprehensive safety measures for vehicles involved in the Amarnath Yatra, ensuring safety checks at key locations and uninterrupted availability of food and medicines along the route. He commended the district administration and health officials for their swift response.
Senior police officers visited the hospital to monitor the treatment of the injured and instructed the chief medical officer to ensure they received the best possible care. According to a CRPF spokesperson, the injured pilgrims came from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
The annual 39-day Amarnath Yatra commenced on July 3 and will conclude on August 9. Nearly 30,000 devotees have already visited the sacred cave in the Himalayas. Authorities have implemented tight security measures, including RFID tags for real-time tracking, facial recognition, X-ray scanning of baggage, and strict pat-down checks at multiple points. Traffic advisories are also in place to regulate the movement of Yatra convoys along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, including fixed cut-off timings. Officials have confirmed that the accident has not affected the overall schedule of the Yatra, and all necessary safety protocols remain in place to ensure the pilgrims' safety.
