Uttarakhand: SDRF rescues 42 Adi Kailash pilgrims stranded due to bad weather

Around 50 villagers, including senior citizens, women and children belonging to seven different villages in the Vyas Valley, too were rescued

Over 40 Adi Kailash pilgrims, who were trapped on a pedestrian route to Bundi camp in Uttarakhand, were rescued by the state disaster response force and brought to Dharchula in Pithoragarh district in an overnight operation, officials said on Wednesday.

The trapped pilgrims being rescued by SDRF, NDRF personnel and local administration in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. (HT Photo)

Around 50 villagers, including senior citizens, women and children belonging to seven different villages in the Vyas Valley, too were rescued with the help of two choppers, the district administration said, adding that they were trapped at Gunji camp for the last four days due to bad weather conditions.

According to the district administration, the villagers had gone to take part in an annual religious ceremony but got trapped on their return at Gunji due to a blocked road following heavy rainfall.

Suresh Gunjiyal, the gram pradhan of Gunji, said they had submitted a complaint with the district magistrate for their rescue.

Pithoragarh district magistrate Ashish Chauhan said the authorities sent a Chinook helicopter and an LH helicopter to Dharchula to rescue the villagers. All 42 pilgrims were brought back from Gunji to Dharchula on Wednesday.

“We were informed of the situation on September 19 that some Adi Kailash pilgrims were trapped on their way to Bundi. We subsequently instructed SDRF to rescue them,” the DM said.

“The trapped pilgrims were taken via an alternate route by SDRF, NDRF and local administration personnel,” SDRF media in-charge Lalita Negi said.

The pilgrims mostly belonged to Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi, the officials said.