Kedarnath Yatra remains suspended after landslide; 4,100 rescued, debris 50% cleared

Thorough survey by the State Disaster Response Force confirms that no pilgrims remain stranded along the Kedarnath Yatra route up to the shrine: Sub-inspector of SDRF

Mussoorie: Over 4,100 pilgrims have been rescued so far — including 500 evacuated on Friday — after the Char Dham Yatra to Kedarnath Dham was suspended due to a massive landslide at Munkatia between Sonprayag and Gaurikund in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district on Wednesday.

Kedarnath Dham was suspended due to a massive landslide at Munkatia between Sonprayag and Gaurikund in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district on Wednesday. (Sourced/HT)

“All 500 stranded pilgrims en route to Gaurikund from the Kedarnath temple have been rescued and sent to their destinations. A thorough survey by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) confirms that no pilgrims remain stranded along the Kedarnath Yatra route up to the shrine,” sub-inspector of SDRF Ashish Dimri, who headed the rescue team, said.

Heavy overnight rain had washed away a 50-metre stretch of the road, cutting off the main route for vehicles and pedestrians on Wednesday. “Over 50% of the debris removal work on the affected stretch has been completed, and the route is likely to reopen for pilgrims by Saturday evening,” Dimri said, adding that pilgrims are being stopped at Sonprayag until the route is deemed safe for travel.

A total of 84 roads remain closed across Uttarakhand. Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh are the worst-affected districts, with 20 and 17 road closures, respectively, according to official data.

Uttarkashi’s Yamunotri National Highway was blocked near Mehargaon after boulders fell on the road. District disaster management officials said that the debris is being cleared from the highway with JCB machines and will soon be reopened.

Meanwhile, a buffalo died after a cowshed in Khetpali village of Tehri district was damaged by mud debris triggered by overnight rains.

Parts of Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Tehri, and Pauri districts experienced light to heavy rainfall till Friday afternoon. The state recorded an average of 17 mm rainfall over the 24-hour period till Friday morning, with several districts reporting surplus rain — Pithoragarh recorded 40.4 mm (90% above normal), Udham Singh Nagar 30.6 mm (144% surplus), Bageshwar 105% above average, and Chamoli 80% above normal.