Travel with extra caution, say local authorities to devotees travelling to Kedarnath Dham amid heavy rains

Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], July 22 (ANI): In view of the alert issued by the Meteorological Department regarding heavy rains, the local administration has appealed to the devotees going to Shri Kedarnath Dham to be extra cautious and not to travel in heavy rains.

Sub-District Magistrate Ukhimath Anil Kumar Shukla has appealed to the pilgrims visiting the Shri Kedarnath Dham to start the journey only after taking proper information about the weather from the local administration and the Meteorological Department.

He said that due to heavy rains in the month of Sawan, stones may fall on the travel routes at many places, due to which it is not appropriate to travel from the point of view of safety.

He further mentioned that there is a possibility of stones falling at places like Chirbasa, Gaurikund and Lincholi on the Kedarnath walking route.

Apart from this, there is a possibility of stones falling near Doliya Devi Temple at Fata on the Rudraprayag-Gaurikund National Highway due to heavy rain. He appealed to everyone to travel with caution in such situations.

He has also appealed to start the journey only after contacting the District Disaster Management Office.

Earlier, on Sunday, July 21, three people died and eight were injured in a landslide in the Chirbasa region of Rudraprayad district of Uttarakhand.

The incident occurred on the Kedarnath Yatra route that morning when the devotees were on their way to Kedarnath Dham from Gaurikund on foot.

The District Control Room in Rudraprayag informed the State Disaster Response Force team that some people have been trapped under debris due to a landslide in that region on the Kedarnath Yatra route.

On receiving the information, the SDRF team immediately reached the spot with the necessary rescue equipment and carried out rescue operations.

SDRF evacuated eight injured people and took them to the hospital. Three people died on the spot and SDRF handed their bodies over to the district police.