Mussoorie, Sept. 14 -- Uttarakhand health authorities have issued an advisory urging pilgrims to avoid prolonged immersion in the hot waters of Tapt Kund at Badrinath after two elderly sisters died while attempting to complete 108 consecutive dips in the hot spring on Friday. The deceased were identified as 71-year-old Ramu Devi and her 63-year-old sister, Prema Devi. According to medical officials, the two women collapsed while performing the rigorous ritual and suffered fatal cardiac arrests. Dr Sachin Rana, the doctor in charge at the government hospital in Badrinath, said the sisters had been undertaking the ritual of taking 108 holy dips every day for nearly a week before the incident. "The two sisters had been routinely undertaking the rigorous ritual of taking 108 holy dips each day for nearly a week prior to the incident. On Friday, the prolonged exposure to thermal water overwhelmed their systems, leading to sudden cardiovascular failure before medical intervention could save them," he said. Following the fatalities, health officials issued a stern advisory to pilgrims visiting the hot spring, warning them against remaining in the thermal waters for extended periods. Dr Rana said the sulphur content in the water had little bearing on the deaths. However, he warned that prolonged exposure to the thermal waters could pose serious physiological risks....