Death Toll Of Hindu Pilgrims Rises To 234

The death toll among Hindu pilgrims killed in a freak storm rose to 234 on Wednesday, as soldiers recovered 66 bodies from roadsides along the Himalayas, an Indian news agency reported.

Dozens of bodies were cremated on the mountainous terrain, where thousands of pilgrims were trapped during a freak snowstorm and torrential rains that hit the region last week. Most of the victims died of exposure.

This was the worst disaster to hit the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, which this year attracted a record 115,000 people. The previous record was 68,000 in 1988.