Rudraprayag: Following the cloudburst incident on Wednesday night, the rescue operation to save stranded pilgrims on the Kedarnath Yatra route faced challenges when a large section of hillside collapsed in Sonprayag on Friday morning. Fortunately, there have been no reports of damage to people’s lives and property. The landslide incidents happening in Kedarnath have worried the people and authorities.
सोनप्रयाग में ख़तरनाक और डरावना लैंडस्लाइड। #sonprayag #gaurikund #kedarnath pic.twitter.com/yeQhub32tS
— Ajit Singh Rathi (@AjitSinghRathi) August 2, 2024
Poor visibility hampers the rescue
In Kedar valley on Wednesday, a cloudburst incident in Bhimbali near Lincholi has completely blocked the road to Rambada, and Lincholi. To intensify the relief and rescue operations for stranded people, Air Force’s Chinook and MI-17 helicopters also reached Gauchar on Friday morning. MI-17 has rescued 15 people in one round and brought them to Gauchar. Meanwhile, airlifting of passengers has also been started from Bhimbali and Lincholi. The entire rescue operation is being monitored from Rudraprayag control room. The weather in Kedarnath is continuously deteriorating, visibility is almost zero, causing difficulties in rescue operations. Due to low visibility, MI-17 and Chinook helicopters are also unable to fly.
Low visibility grounds MI-17 and Chinook helicopters
On rescue operations for the people stuck in Kedarnath and adjoining areas, Rudraprayag SDM Ashish Ghildiyal says, “Here on Gauchar Airstrip, Chinook and Mi-17 of the Indian air force landed yesterday. Mi-17 took a flight yesterday but since the weather was not good, the mission was aborted. From this morning, we have rescued 15 people with the help of Mi-17.
Over 200 roads in the state have been closed
This monsoon season, Uttarakhand has witnessed several landslide incidents, disrupting normal life. After the recent cloudbursts, over 200 roads in the state have been closed, and the Kedarnath route has sustained damage at approximately seven locations. More than 2,000 people are feared to be stranded along the Kedarnath Yatra route. As of Friday morning, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has successfully evacuated 2,300 individuals via pedestrian paths and airlifted 727 others using helicopters. A total of 12 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 60 SDRF teams are actively engaged in rescue operations