DEHRADUN: The vital Kedarnath Dham Yatra, a backbone of Uttarakhand's economy, has been temporarily suspended following a massive landslide near Sonprayag in Rudraprayag district.
The decision was made on Thursday after heavy rainfall triggered a significant landslide at Munkatia, completely blocking the road to the revered Himalayan temple.
Police sources confirmed that the Munkatia sliding zone was inundated with a large volume of debris and stones, rendering the route impassable and forcing authorities to halt the pilgrimage.
"Some pilgrims returning from Gaurikund were trapped in the sliding zone, but SDRF personnel rescued them and brought them safely to Sonprayag," said Arpan Yaduvanshi, Commandant of the State Disaster Response Force. "As a precautionary measure, traffic on this route has been stopped for now."
Commandant Yaduvanshi further confirmed the swift rescue operation: "Around 40 pilgrims stranded in the Sonprayag landslide area while returning from Shri Kedarnath Dham were safely evacuated by SDRF. More than 40 pilgrims had been stranded since approximately 10 PM last night after debris suddenly fell near Sonprayag on the way from Kedarnath Dham."
Meanwhile, the Yamunotri Highway remains closed beyond Silai Band for the fourth consecutive day following a cloudburst incident. While pedestrian movement is possible, it remains precarious due to ongoing risks.
On Wednesday, approximately 254 passengers stranded between Syanchatti and Jankichatti were safely evacuated. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with NDRF utilizing sniffer dogs to locate seven people who are still missing after the incident.
The cloudburst near Silai Band and the overflowing drain at Ojri washed away a 20 to 25-meter section of the Yamunotri Highway. Seven individuals were swept away and went missing in the powerful current of debris and water at Silai Band.
NDRF, SDRF, Police, and ITBP personnel are actively involved in the search for the missing and the safe evacuation of pilgrims. Around 263 pedestrians were safely evacuated and transported to Barkot by vehicles.
"The food supply department has arranged meals for stranded pilgrims at various locations," District Disaster Management Officer Nand Kishore Joshi said. "While the National Highway department is undertaking repair work at Silai Band, the presence of hard rock near Ojri is posing significant challenges."
In a separate incident highlighting the widespread impact of the monsoon, a massive landslide occurred near Ummatta in Karnaprayag. Around 1 AM, debris from the hillside descended directly into a hotel located along the highway.
Fortunately, the hotel owner's family and staff managed to escape to safety. However, a taxi passing by at the time was buried under the debris.