DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand is reeling from a tragic 48-hour period that has claimed 18 lives across the state, as storms, road accidents, health emergencies and a forest fire turned pilgrimage routes and mountain roads into scenes of devastation.
The state's fragile topography, currently hosting thousands of devotees for the Char Dham and Adi Kailash yatras, has become increasingly volatile.
Authorities are grappling with a series of incidents ranging from lightning strikes and storm related casualties to fatal road accidents and sudden medical emergencies.
The most harrowing incident occurred in the Tungnath Chopta region, a high altitude spiritual destination. As weather conditions changed rapidly, a severe storm trapped pilgrims and local residents. Amid the chaos, two brothers from Lucknow, Abhishek and Abhinav Vajpayee, lost their lives.
"The sudden change in weather, coupled with heavy winds, trapped several tourists in the area. Rescue operations were launched immediately by district administration and disaster relief agencies to evacuate the stranded," local officials said.
Police Station House Officer Manoj Negi confirmed the deaths of the two brothers.
The unpredictable weather also triggered lightning strikes in the Chandrashila Tungnath area, injuring two people, including a woman. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local health departments were deployed for rescue operations.
The ongoing Char Dham and Adi Kailash pilgrimages, both known for their spiritual significance and challenging high altitude routes, have also witnessed a rise in fatalities. On the Yamunotri Dham route, 61 year old Harimohan from Madhya Pradesh fell ill while travelling with his family.
Despite being rushed to the Janki Chatti Community Health Centre, he was declared dead. His death has taken the toll on the Yamunotri route to 14 this season.
Similarly, 76 year old Mansukh Giri from Rajkot, Gujarat, suffered a fatal heart attack during the Adi Kailash pilgrimage. He collapsed during the journey and was declared dead on arrival at Dharchula Hospital.
Beyond the weather related incidents, the state's mountain roads have also claimed several lives. Over the past two days, road accidents in Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Almora and Tehri districts have resulted in 10 deaths.
In the latest incident, an ambulance plunged into a gorge in Chamoli's Dewal development block, killing three of the six occupants.
In another accident on the Gangotri Highway, a vehicle travelling from Gangnani to Uttarkashi veered off the road, killing two elderly tourists from Nagpur, Maharashtra, 67-year-old Lakshmi Ramtekkar and 77 year old Damodhar Ramtekkar. Two other passengers from Odisha sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment.
Compounding the crisis, the state is also battling forest fires. A forest department employee succumbed to burn injuries in Pauri district on Friday.
As local administrations scramble to manage the mounting crises, experts have warned that the combination of severe weather and rugged terrain continues to pose a significant threat to thousands of pilgrims travelling through the high altitude Himalayan circuits.
