Dehradun, May 21: More than 10,000 pilgrims stranded on the Kedarnath route in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district were safely rescued after a massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall blocked the highway between Sonprayag and Gaurikund, officials said on Thursday.
According to officials, the landslide struck the Munkatiya area late Tuesday night, leaving thousands of pilgrims stranded as debris and continuous rockfalls cut off the main route.
The District Control Room (DCR) Rudraprayag alerted the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) at 9.16 pm, following which rescue teams from Sonprayag rushed to the affected spot with necessary equipment.
The SDRF and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) jointly launched a large-scale rescue operation under difficult conditions, including heavy rainfall, darkness, poor visibility, and challenging mountainous terrain.
Officials said the rescue teams safely guided 10,450 stranded pilgrims across the damaged stretch and shifted them to designated safe locations. Rescue personnel also encouraged and assisted the pilgrims throughout the operation amid adverse weather conditions.
After the evacuation, authorities deployed JCB machines to clear the debris from the highway. Vehicular movement on the route was restored shortly after the clearance work was completed.
SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said teams deployed along the pilgrimage route remained on high alert, which enabled quick response and better coordination during the emergency.
Officials added that stranded vehicles were also cleared from the area after the road blockade was removed. (Agencies)
