Thousands Trapped In Himalayas

Tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims were trapped in the Himalayas on Friday after monsoon rains and a freak snowstorm swept through their annual march to a mountain temple. At least 65 people have been killed.

Some 80,000 people were in the mountains when the storm sent rain cascading down slippery lower slopes and piled up 6 inches of snow at higher elevations.

Heavy snow was still falling Friday, grounding rescue helicopters that the government of Jammu-Kashmir state had hoped to send, the Press Trust of India news agency said. Troops guarding the route through the rebellion-racked state were being asked to help the stranded and sick.

Authorities called off the annual pilgrimage to pray at the temple of Lord Shiva in the Amarnath caves, asking more than 10,000 worshipers not to leave Jammu, the summer capital of the northern state.

But more than 115,000 people had already left. The pilgrimage that began Aug. 16 includes a 185-mile bus ride and a three-day, 30-mile trek to the temple 13,500 feet up in the mountains.

Much of the route was buried under snow, making it difficult for pilgrims to return to safer areas.

The pilgrimage won’t be complete until a prayer is said at the shrine on Wednesday, the day of a full moon.

It was believed that about 35,000 worshipers had completed the journey and returned safely, but there was no official estimate.