Landslide Hits Kedarnath Route.. Pilgrims Face Major Disruption

Around 1,500 pilgrims stranded on the Kedarnath pilgrimage route in Uttarakhand after a landslide in the Chirbasa area are being evacuated to safety. After information about the pilgrims being stranded emerged around midnight on Sunday, teams from the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force and District Disaster Response Force launched a joint rescue operation. Pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh are also among those affected, with around 45 pilgrims from Rayavaram mandal in East Godavari district reportedly stranded. The incident occurred while they were returning after completing their pilgrimage.

The landslide occurred in Chirbasa, around three kilometres from Sonprayag, leaving large amounts of mud and rocks along the route. Falling rocks from the hillside also made movement dangerous for pilgrims. An SDRF team reached the spot soon after receiving the information and assessed the situation. SDRF, NDRF and DDRF personnel then jointly guided the pilgrims across the dangerous stretch and shifted them to Gaurikund. Meanwhile, the Chardham Yatra has remained suspended for the second consecutive day due to heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand.