Ahmedabad, April 23 – Three tourists from Gujarat were among the 26 people killed in the horrific terrorist attack that occurred on Tuesday near the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir. The information was confirmed by officials on Wednesday.
As per agency report, Gujarat Health Minister Rishikesh Patel stated that the state administration is coordinating with the central and Jammu and Kashmir governments to facilitate the return of the bodies. Efforts are also underway to ensure the safe return of other tourists from the state.
The deceased have been identified as Shailesh Kalathiya from Surat, and Yatish Parmar and his son Smit Parmar from Bhavnagar. Kalathiya, a 44-year-old resident of the Chikuwadi area in Surat, had moved to Mumbai several years ago for work. According to Sajid Meruje, Revenue Officer of Surat's Disaster Management Department, Kalathiya was visiting Pahalgam with his wife and two children, all of whom survived the attack.
Bhavnagar District Collector Manish Kumar Bansal confirmed that Yatish Parmar and his son Smit, residents of the Kaliyabid area in Bhavnagar, were among those killed. Reports indicate that they were part of a 19-member group from Bhavnagar that had travelled to Kashmir on April 16 to attend spiritual discourses by renowned preacher Morari Bapu.
Following the attack, security has been tightened across sensitive locations and major tourist destinations in the Kashmir Valley. The deadly incident has triggered a nationwide outpouring of grief and condemnation.
