Uttarakhand: Badrinath highway blocked due to falling debris, man rescued

Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], August 25 (ANI): An injured person was rescued by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) after being trapped on the Badrinath highway due to the falling debris triggered by debris in the Chamoli district, officials said on Friday.

According to the SDRF, information was received by Kotwali in Joshimath late Thursday night that an injured person had been trapped due to falling debris near the Pagalnala area of Chamoli district.

An SDRF team immediately reached the spot and carried out a rescue operation in the pitch-dark and harsh circumstances of the night.

Subsequently, the injured person was rescued and brought to the other side by means of a stretcher, from where he was sent to hospital for treatment, said an SDRF official.

“The rescued individual had got trapped on the Badrinath highway while he was on a trek. He was injured while returning from the trek and was therefore unable to cross the obstructed road,” said the official. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the Rishikesh-Chamba National Highway was closed for traffic at Bagaddhar to clear boulders following a landslide, an official said on Wednesday.

“NH94 Rishikesh-Chamba is closed at Bagaddhar. Work is in progress to clear the boulders”, said Brijesh Bhatt, Tehri District Disaster Officer while speaking to ANI.

A total of 12 village link roads have been closed due to boulders following landslides, said the District Disaster Officer.

On Tuesday, amid incessant rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand, a portion of the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway-58 between Purusadi in Chamoli district was damaged.

According to the district administration, a 250-metre stretch of the highway in Purusadi was damaged because of this the local administration had to suspend the movement of traffic.

Amid a red alert for heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand, district magistrates have been urged to take precautions in their respective districts.

Pauri’s Senior Superintendant of Police Shweta Choubey has appealed to people to get information about the weather and routes before travelling. She said that due to heavy rains, the river drains in the district were in spate.

An official estimate earlier, put the toll from rain-related incidents in the state at 52 while 37 people were reported to have sustained injuries.