A cloudburst hit near the base camp of the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas on Friday, officials said.

So far 15 persons have lost their lives and 40 are feared missing, reports ndtv.com.

The cloudburst hit the cave area at around 5.30 pm after heavy rains, they said.

Police and other civil administration have launched a rescue operation as some langars were affected by the gushing waters, the officials said.

Rescue operation by the National Disaster Response Force or the NDRF and the State Disaster Response Force or SDRF are on.

Several other agencies have joined in as well.

Pilgrimage resumed this year on June 30 after a two-year Covid gap.

So far, more than 72,000 pilgrims have offered their prayers since then.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed central forces and Jammu and Kashmir administration to ensure swift operations to rescue people affected in the cloudburst.

Shah said in a Tweet in Hindi that he has spoken to J&K LG Manoj Sinha to take stock of the situation following the cloudburst that struck around 5:30 pm."NDRF, CRPF, BSF and local administration are engaged in the rescue work. Saving people's lives is our priority. I wish all the devotees well," the minister said.At least eight lives have been lost in the incident, police said.