Kedarnath cloudburst: More than 5000 pilgrims rescued, 780 airlifted from Lincholi and Kedarnath

Rudraprayag: After intensive relief and rescue operation to evacuate the stranded pilgrims on the Kedarnath yatra route, more than 5000 pilgrims have been successfully rescued and rescue work completed in the Lincholi area where cloudburst occurred on Wednesday night and severely affected the connecting route. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his gratitude to the PM and the army.

Disaster like conditions in Kedarnath

A flood like situation arose after a cloudburst near Bheembali in Kedarnath yatra route entrapping thousands of pilgrims at various patches of this route. To rescue these stranded pilgrims, the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) jointly conducted a rescue operation along the Kedarnath route. To give momentum to this operation Airforce’s MI-17 and Chinook helicopters were also sent from Delhi but poor visibility kept them grounded, except for the rescue of 15 people in the first sortie.

500 pilgrims stranded in Lincholi were rescued

Reportedly, the rescue operation in Lincholi has almost reached its end with the rescue of around 500 pilgrims. Next, rescue operations will focus on Bhimbali and Kedarnath. Still a small number of pilgrims remain stranded in Bhimbali. As per the sources, the emergency authorities anticipate that the entire rescue operation will be completed soon despite challenges of poor weather and frequently occurring landslides in the area.

Read More

Bangladesh political turmoil: All trains and flights cancelled-Check Details

Uttar Pradesh: Sub Inspector demands ‘potatoes’ as bribe to settle case, suspended

Union Minister Ravneet Bittu defies FIR, stands by remarks against Rahul Gandhi

So far, 3500 pilgrims have been rescued by SDRF

As the rescue operation continues, the state disaster response force has rescued more than 3500 pilgrims in the last two days. As per the instructions of SDRF commandant Manikant Mishra, efforts are being made by the SDRF team to identify other alternative routes through drones, along with this, the situation of the pilgrims is also being monitored. Due to the frequent landslides in the area, an action plan was made to create other alternative routes through drones. Meanwhile, the pilgrims stranded in Lincholi were taken to the helipad, where they were evacuated through helicopter. Apart from this, on Friday, 780 pilgrims airlifted from Kedarnath and Lincholi.

CM Dhami expressed gratitude to PM

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami took to his X account, formerly twitter, to express his gratitude for prime minister Narendra Modi for initiating HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) operation by the Indian Air Force in the disaster affected areas of the state. He also informed through X that rescue operation is being carried out on war footing and so far, more than 5000 people have been safely evacuated to a safe place. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inquired about the disaster like situation in various places of the state from CM Dhami over the phone. He assured all possible help for the safety of the people of the state and the devotees.

Restlessness among kin of entrapped people

After this disaster, there is a network problem in Kedarnath valley, therefore, there is no contact possible between stranded people and their families. Resultantly, many relatives of stranded pilgrims reached Sonprayag in Kedarnath route to enquire about their loved ones. To meet this situation, the administration has issued a helpline number. The control room number of Rudraprayag Police 7579257572 and the landline number 01364-233387 arranged in the police office have been started as helpline numbers. If these numbers are busy, necessary information can be obtained by calling the emergency number 112.