179 from Maharashtra stuck in Uttarakhand after landslide: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway closed near Vishnuprayag in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district due to a landslide.

Mumbai: Altogether 179 pilgrims from Maharashtra are among those stranded at various places after a massive landslide in Uttarakhand and all of them are safe, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Assembly on Saturday.

"All of them (pilgrims) are safe. We have ascertained it. Of the total 179 from Maharashtra who are stranded there, 102 are from Aurangabad and 38 from Pune," he said.

The other travellers hail from Sangli and Jalgaon districts, Fadnavis said in the Lower House on the first day of the three-day special session of the legislature called to ratify the GST bill.

The Railway administration has made arrangements to bring them back to Maharashtra, Fadnavis said.

Ajit Pawar (NCP) said the state government should make adequate arrangements to help those stranded. He suggested deputing an IAS officer to coordinate rescue work.

Fadnavis said "We have a permanent system in place. The disaster management department coordinates such operations."

The Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway was yesterday closed near Vishnuprayag in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district due to a landslide.

Due to the landslide and closure of the highway, around 2,000 travellers on way to Badrinath, the famous pilgrim spot in the hill state, were left stranded at various places.