Flash flood washes away trekking route in HP’s Kinnaur, ITBP rescues 413 pilgrims

Flash floods in Kinnaur stranded hundreds of pilgrims; ITBP rescued 413. Heavy rains disrupt life in Shimla, closing schools.

A flash flood washed away a large part of the trekking route in the Tangling area along the Kinnaur-Kailash Yatra route, leaving hundreds of pilgrims stranded.

Personnel of the 17th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) rescuing pilgrims on Wednesday after a bridge on the Kangrang Nullah was washed away due to a flash flood on the Kinnaur-Kailash Yatra route in Kinnaur district. (HT Photo)

Personnel of the 17th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) rescued 413 pilgrims using a rope-based traverse crossing technique and evacuated them to safer locations, said an official.

After receiving a distress call from the Kinnaur district administration on Wednesday morning, the ITBP and NDRF teams were mobilised again and continued the rescue operation.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate rainfall at most places in Himachal Pradesh, with a few spells of intense to very intense rainfall likely in the districts of Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, and Mandi on Wednesday.

Light to moderate rainfall is expected at many places in Chamba, Kangra, Hamirpur, Una, Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, and Kullu districts.

Heavy and continuous rainfall has disrupted normal life in Shimla, leading to the closure of most educational institutions in the district.