Rudraprayag: A major tragedy was averted on Thursday morning on the Kedarnath pilgrimage route amid relentless heavy rainfall.
Around 200 metres ahead of the Gaurikund gate, a massive landslide sent huge quantities of debris, giant boulders and rocks crashing onto the trekking route, completely blocking the path to Kedarnath. Sensing the danger, the administration immediately halted the movement of pilgrims and shifted them to safe locations.
According to eyewitnesses, the mountainside suddenly roared before large amounts of debris and rocks tumbled down within moments. Had pilgrims been on the route at that time, the incident could have resulted in significant loss of life. Prompt action by the authorities helped avert a potential disaster.
Soon after receiving information about the landslide, teams from the district administration, the District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) and other concerned departments rushed to the spot.
ఇవి కూడా చదవండి
Debris clearance operations have begun, but continuous rainfall and falling rocks from the hillside are severely hampering restoration efforts. Keeping safety as the top priority, authorities are not allowing any pilgrim to proceed further.
"The Kedarnath trekking route has been completely blocked due to a major landslide ahead of Gaurikund gate. DDRF teams are deployed at the site and the situation is being closely monitored. The yatra will resume only after the weather improves and the route is declared completely safe," Nandan Singh Rajwar, District Disaster Management Officer, said.
The administration has appealed to all pilgrims not to pay attention to rumours, avoid attempting to move ahead without permission and strictly follow official advisories.
The Kedarnath pilgrimage on foot remains suspended for now, and devotees have been advised to stay at safe locations until further orders.
