India, April 24 -- Panic and uncertainty have gripped hundreds of tourists from Pune and other parts of Maharashtra following the terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday which has left them stranded in Jammu and Kashmir. As fear grips the region, desperate efforts to return home are being thwarted by soaring airfares and skyrocketing hotel tariffs in Srinagar are making the situation worse.

"The airfares have almost doubled. A Srinagar-Pune flight for Thursday costs around Rs.18,000, up from Rs.10,000. Hotel charges have crossed Rs.10,000 per night," said Vaishali Kulkarni, whose family is stuck in Srinagar.

Travel agencies in Pune have halted all upcoming departures to Kashmir and are now focused solely on getting their clients back.

"We...