Authorities ask travellers to stay updated on weather & use safe routes04
Monday, 22 July 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Two pilgrims from Maharashtra and one from Rudraprayag district died while five sustained injuries- four of them seriously injured- on the route to the Kedarnath temple following a landslide caused by heavy rain on Sunday morning. The pilgrims were en route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath when the landslide struck near Chidwasa, burying them under debris. The Rudraprayag district disaster management officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said that the accident occurred around 7:30 AM near the Chidwasa area on the Gaurikund-Kedarnath bridle path when debris and heavy stones started falling from the mountain.
The police and the rescue team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were called to the spot at around 8 AM. A team led by inspector Anirudh Singh Bhandari initiated the rescue operation. The team rescued eight injured people trapped under the debris and sent them to the hospital for treatment. “Unfortunately, three individuals were found dead at the scene. Their bodies were handed over to the district police by the SDRF team,” the DDMO said. The deceased were identified as Kishore Arun Payate (31), a resident of Nagpur, Maharashtra, Sunil Mahadev Kale (24), a resident of Jalna, Maharashtra and a local from Tilwada village in Rudraprayag, Anurag Bisht (22). The seriously injured have been identified as Gujarat residents Chela Bhai Chowdhry (23), Jagdish Purohit (45) and Maharashtra residents Abhishek Chauhan (18) and Dhaneshwar Dande (27). Gujarat resident Hardan Bhai Patel (31) sustained minor injury. The injured have been admitted to the Rudraprayag district hospital for treatment.
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also expressed grief and his condolences to the family of the deceased. He wrote on X, that the news of some pilgrims losing their lives and some getting injured due to debris and heavy stones falling from the mountain near the Kedarnath Yatra route is very sad. He also stated that he has given instructions to the authorities concerned to provide better treatment to the people injured in the accident. “May God grant the departed souls a place at His feet and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow,” he added.
The Rudraprayag district administration also appealed to pilgrims to stay updated on weather conditions and use safe routes during their journey. In case of emergency, one should contact the local authorities immediately, the officials said.
