At least two people were killed and three were severely injured after a landslide occurred on the trek route of Kedarnath Yatra on Wednesday. According to the local police, the incident happened around 11:20 AM when boulders rolled down the hillside and hit pilgrims as well as palanquin and porter operators.
Two People Killed In Landslide On Kedarnath Yatra Route
According to Hindustan Times, the landslide occurred near Junglechatti ghat on the Kedarnath Yatra route on June 18. Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Akhay Prahlad Konde confirmed that the incident claimed two lives and left three injured. He elaborated that they fell into a gorge after being hit by heavy boulders during the landslide.
Local police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel rushed to the spot when the news broke out. They promptly launched a search and rescue operation. Reports suggest that the rescue team faced significant difficulties pulling out the dead as well as the injured from the gorge with the help of ropes. The injured were immediately taken to a health centre in Gaurikund for medical assistance.
As per the latest update, the Kedarnath yatra was not halted because of the landslide. Pilgrims are continuing the sacred yatra under police protection for now. More details are awaited on this.
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Incessant Rainfall Adds To Pilgrims’ Woes
The recent landslide incident comes days after the Kedarnath Dham yatra was briefly suspended to clear the debris from yet another landslide near Junglechatti and Bhimbali. The incessant rainfall and adverse weather conditions caused landslides along the Yatra trek route and prompted the authorities to suspend the Yatra on Sunday. While pilgrims returning from Kedarnath were allowed to proceed towards Sonprayag, upward movement was halted for some time. Once the debris was cleared out, the movement of pilgrims from Sonprayag to Kedarnath was resumed.
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More details are awaited after today’s incident. We request all pilgrims heading for Kedarnath yatra to be extremely careful and follow all the guidelines issued by the local authorities.
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@VikramIndolia