Over 10,000 Kedarnath pilgrims rescued after massive landslide in Rudraprayag

Joint rescue teams safely evacuated 10,450 pilgrims stranded along the Kedarnath pilgrimage route in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district after a sudden landslide triggered by heavy rainfall blocked the highway near Munkatiya, officials said on Thursday.

According to officials, the landslide struck late Tuesday night between Sonprayag and Gaurikund, cutting off the main route used by thousands of pilgrims travelling to the Kedarnath shrine. Massive debris from the hillside blocked the highway, leaving a large number of vehicles and devotees stranded in the mountainous terrain.

The situation turned critical due to continuous rockfalls, heavy rain, darkness, and poor visibility, making rescue efforts extremely challenging.

The District Control Room (DCR) in Rudraprayag alerted the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) at around 9.16 pm, following which a rescue team from Sonprayag rushed to the site with emergency equipment.

Soon after, the SDRF and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) launched a joint rescue and relief operation to evacuate stranded pilgrims from the affected stretch.

Officials said rescue personnel guided all 10,450 pilgrims to safety despite relentless rainfall and unstable conditions. Teams motivated and assisted devotees, many of whom had been stranded for hours in the difficult weather conditions.

The evacuated pilgrims were shifted to designated safe zones and temporary shelters, officials added.

After the rescue operation concluded, authorities deployed JCB machines and other heavy equipment to clear debris from the highway. The route was restored shortly afterwards, allowing normal vehicular movement to resume.

SDRF commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said rescue teams stationed along the Char Dham pilgrimage route remained on high alert throughout the operation.

“The advance deployment of teams ensured a swift response and better coordination during the emergency,” Yaduvanshi said.

Officials added that workers removed the blockage completely and stranded vehicles were later allowed to leave the area safely.

With PTI inputs