Heavy rains wash away part of Badrinath highway, pilgrimage disrupted

Dehradun, Jul 24 (PTI) A 100-metre stretch of the Gauchar-Badrinath highway at Kamera was washed away on Monday following heavy overnight rainfall, disrupting the pilgrimage to the Himalayan temple.

The route will remain closed for Badrinath pilgrims for two-three days, according to an official statement issued here.

Efforts are underway on war footing to repair and open the route to traffic at the earliest, it said.

A part of a road also caved in at Bhattnagar near Gauchar and five vehicles parked along the roadside got buried in the debris, the state emergency operation centre here said.

The rubble is being cleared, it said, adding no one was hurt in the incident.