Over 180 Adi Kailash pilgrims rescued from landslide-hit road stretch

Over 300 Adi pilgrims, on their way to Adi Kailash and returning from the pilgrimage, were stranded after a landslide washed off nearly 100 metres of a road stretch on Tuesday evening

Over 180 pilgrims, returning from Adi Kailash in Uttarakhand, were rescued by a joint team of the state disaster response force (SDRF), revenue police and Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) from Najang, where they had been stranded since Tuesday, following a massive landslide that damaged over a 100-metre stretch of the road in Pithoragarh district

Stranded pilgrims being rescued from the landslide zone in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district. (HT Photo)

Dharchula sub-divisional magistrate, Divesh Shashni said 140 pilgrims were rescued on Friday while around 40 pilgrims were rescued on Thursday.

“The pilgrims, who had to catch their flights or had other essential work had requested the administration to rescue them via an alternative route below the landslide zone. We sent a medical team and a joint team of SDRF, SSB and police to rescue them and bring them to Dharchula,” he said

The SDM said nearly 150 pilgrims are still stranded near Gunji.

Over 300 Adi pilgrims, on their way to Adi Kailash and returning from the pilgrimage, were stranded after a landslide washed off nearly 100 metres of the road stretch on Tuesday evening.

Adi Kailash, also known as Shiva Kailash, Chota Kailash, is a mountain located in the Pithoragarh district. The route along the Sharda River at Gunji in Pithoragarh divides into two separate routes, one goes north to Kailash-Mansarovar and another to the west to Adi Kailash. The pilgrims were en route from Gunji to Dharchula base camp after a landslide occurred at Najang spot, 45 km from Dharchula.

Adi Kailash yatra, which started on May 4 this year, is being run by private agencies and the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN). While KMVN has only 20 members in the 10th batch on the way to Om Parvat, the rest of the over 280 pilgrims have come through private tour operators. Om Parvat is 18 km from Gunji, while Adi Kailash is 38 km from Gunji. Both the sacred places are in opposite directions. On May 10 also, the first batch of Adi Kailash yatra returned without reaching Adi Kailash due to the blockade of Jonglingkong route following heavy snow in Gunji area of Pithoragarh district.