A young woman from Assam’s Morigaon district died after reportedly suffering from altitude sickness while on a pilgrimage to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand.

Papori Deka, a resident of Dalongghat, had travelled to Kedarnath with a group of friends for darshan. Family members said she fell ill while trekking towards the shrine and died on May 4, barely 500 metres away from the temple.

Her body was brought back to her village on Thursday morning, May 7, triggering scenes of grief across the area as relatives, neighbours and well-wishers gathered to pay their last respects.

The incident has drawn attention after it emerged that Papori Deka was scheduled to get married in December this year. According to family members, her would-be husband, Jyoti Prasad Datta of Guwahati, performed her last rites in keeping with local customs.

Papori Deka is survived by her parents, Dulal Chandra Borah and Chandimai Borah.

Every year, thousands of pilgrims travel to Kedarnath during the Char Dham Yatra season, with authorities frequently advising visitors to take precautions against high-altitude sickness and extreme weather conditions.