Kedarnath Landslides: Death Toll Climbs To 5, Rescue Operations Continue

Debris being removed after a landslide near Munkatiya between Sonprayag and Gaurikund on the Kedarnath National Highway on Monday evening, in Rudraprayag district, Tuesday, Sept 10, 2024. (Photo: PTI)

Uttarakhand Landslides: In the latest updates pertaining to the landslide that occurred on Monday on the Kedarnath route, four more bodies were recovered on Tuesday from the debris, according to officials.

On Tuesday, Rudraprayag Police said that more pilgrims could be trapped under the debris. A group of pilgrims returning from a visit to Kedarnath were trapped in the landslide at around 7.20 pm on Monday. Following the incident, a search operation was launched. SDRF and NDRF personnel had launched a rescue operation immediately and retrieved the body of a pilgrim.

The deceased was identified as Gopal (50) from Dhar in Madhya Pradesh. Amid the rescue operation, three others were rescued and were rushed to Sonprayag in an ambulance. The operation had to be suspended due to bad weather and boulders still falling from the hillside intermittently on Monday night.

After the search and recuse efforts were resumed on Tuesday morning, bodies of four more pilgrims, including three women, were pulled out of the debris.

The pilgrims were identified as Durgabai Khapar (50) from Ghat district in Madhya Pradesh, Titli Devi (70) from Vaidehi village of Nepal's Dhanwa district, Saman Bai (50) from Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, and Bharat Bhai Niralal (52) from Surat, Gujarat. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident.

The landslide occurred due to torrential rains in the area. Relief and rescue operations are underway. Rudraprayag Additional District Magistrate, Shyam Singh Rana, arrived at the spot and said that five people were killed and three people were injured due to the landslide that occurred.

"A landslide occurred on the National Highway near Sonprayag, due to which five passengers travelling from the route became victims of the accident. Three other people who were injured in the landslide have been rescued by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)," as quoted by news agency ANI. He further appealed to the people in the district to plan their commute, keeping in mind the weather conditions.

"I appeal to the people in the district to plan their commute accordingly, keeping in mind the persisting weather conditions," he further stated.

(With ANI, PTI Inputs)