Kedarnath: Cloudburst causes landslide, leaves over 200 pilgrims stranded

In a tragic turn of events, a cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Tehri district has claimed two lives and left many others in peril as heavy rains battered the state throughout Wednesday.

According to ANI, a cloudburst in the Ghansali area of Tehri resulted in three people going missing. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) conducted a search operation, rescuing one injured individual from a 200-metre deep ditch and recovering the bodies of the other two. The injured person was transported to the hospital, and the deceased were handed over to the district police.



A separate cloudburst near the Bhim Bali stream along the Kedarnath walking path caused a landslide, damaging approximately 25 metres of the trail and temporarily stranding nearly 200 pilgrims. Emergency services, including the SDRF, district police, and local officials, responded swiftly, relocating the stranded pilgrims to safety. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the Bhim Bali incident.

The relentless downpour led to a sudden rise in the water level of the Mandakini River, prompting authorities to evacuate the Gaurikund temple and move people to safer locations. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), SDRF, police, and other emergency services remain on high alert.

Rudraprayag District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar confirmed the cloudburst incident at Bhim Bali on the Kedarnath trail, resulting in a landslide that damaged 20-25 metres of the path. The approximately 200 pilgrims stranded at Bhimbali GMVN were safely relocated, with no reported loss of life.

The rapidly rising water level of the Mandakini River necessitated the evacuation of the Gauri Mata temple in Gaurikund, with devotees being moved to safer areas.

In response to the situation, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami communicated with the Disaster Management Secretary to assess the ongoing relief and rescue operations across the affected areas.

Inputs from Agencies