Lagatar24 Desk
Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand): Heavy rains have wreaked havoc in Rudraprayag district, severely damaging the route to Kedarnath on Wednesday night. Rescue and relief operations are underway to evacuate the stranded pilgrims.
The Uttarakhand police reported that as of Thursday, 737 people were rescued by helicopter, and at least 2,670 were taken to Sonprayag by relief forces. The police shared updates on their official X handle, stating, “The rescue work of people stranded on the Shri Kedarnath Dham Yatra route is continuing. 737 passengers were rescued by helicopter throughout the day. 2,670 passengers were taken to Sonprayag. SDRF, NDRF, DDRF, District Police, and Administration teams are selflessly helping the devotees.”
Uttarakhand Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar provided information about the ongoing relief and rescue operations following the heavy rains. He urged residents and travelers to exercise caution and follow official instructions. Kumar stated that the Kedarnath Yatra has been suspended for two days due to adverse weather conditions, with 12 NDRF and 60 SDRF teams engaged in rescue efforts.
Kumar told ANI, “We had received an alert from the Meteorological Department about heavy rains in the state for 48 hours. In response, the police, NDRF, SDRF, and local administration were put on alert. After the rains began, we received reports of landslides and rock falls from various areas. Teams were dispatched for relief and rescue. The Chief Minister visited Tehri and Rudraprayag to meet the affected people. So far, 11 people have died, and eight are seriously injured. By morning, about 1,000 people were stranded in Kedarnath, and 800 on the trek route.”
The Kedarnath Yatra has been temporarily halted for the next two days for safety reasons. The state government has enlisted the help of the Air Force to evacuate those stranded. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a ground inspection of the rain-affected areas in Tehri and Rudraprayag on Thursday. Heavy rains on Wednesday night caused significant damage to roads, footbridges, power and drinking water lines, and agricultural land.
Upon receiving information about the disaster, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the State Disaster Operations Centre at night to assess the situation. He instructed officials to remain on high alert. The Kedarnath Yatra has been paused for now due to landslides along the footpath to ensure the safety of pilgrims.
