About 15,000 pilgrims stranded along Kedarnath trek route after landslide evacuated

A joint rescue effort involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) successfully evacuated approximately 1,500 pilgrims stranded along the Kedarnath trek route in the Chirbasa area, officials announced on Monday. The incident occurred due to a landslide that blocked the route, leaving the pilgrims trapped near the Chirbasa helipad.

Upon receiving reports of the stranded pilgrims, an SDRF team led by Sub-Inspector Ashish Dimri was dispatched to the site. They found that the road was strewn with debris and that continuous rockfalls from the hillside had made the situation perilous for the pilgrims. Despite these challenges, the rescue teams meticulously guided the pilgrims across the hazardous zone, ensuring their safe passage to the other side before proceeding to Gaurikund.

The Char Dham Yatra, a significant pilgrimage in Uttarakhand, had already been halted for the second consecutive day on Sunday due to heavy rainfall.