Rain fury in Uttarakhand: Two pilgrims killed in landslide, Kedarnath yatra put on hold till Sept 3

A landslide on the Kedarnath route early Monday killed two pilgrims and left six injured, leading to temporary suspension of the pilgrimage to the Himalayan temple till September 3.

The landslide occurred at 7.34 am near Munkatiya between Sonprayag and Gaurikund on Kedarnath route.

Debris carrying rocks and boulders fell from the hillside at Munkatiya and hit a vehicle that was passing by the road, killing two passengers on the spot, Rudraprayag district Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said.

Six others travelling in the vehicle were injured out of which four have been referred to higher centre for treatment, he said.

The deceased were identified as Rita (30) and Chandra Singh (68) from Barkot in Uttarkashi district.

The injured were identified as Mohit Chauhan, Naveen Singh Rawat, Pratibha, Mamata, Rajeshwari and Pankaj who are also from Uttarkashi district.

In view of heavy rains, the Rudraprayag district administration has put the Kedarnath yatra on hold for three days till September 3, an official said.

By 8 am on Monday Banbasa received the highest 256.4 MM of rainfall followed by Khatima with 181.0 mm of rain, Tanakpur (174.0 mm), Bastia (170.0mm),  Koti (152.0mm), Chakrata (146.0mm), Purola (120.0 mm) and Devidhura (129.0 mm), the Central Water Commission said giving rainfall data over the past 24 hours  in a bulletin.

The heavy rains have led to an increase in the water level in rivers running through the state.

The Yamuna river at Kathnaur and Kamla river at Purola in Uttarkashi district besides the Shalini river in Dehradun district and Aglar river in Tehri district are flowing above the danger mark, it said.

Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers in Rudraprayag district have crossed the warning level and are flowing at 626.35 metres and 625.05 metres respectively very close to the danger mark.

The water levels of the Ganga have also risen in both Haridwar and Rishikesh with the administration making announcements through loud hailers asking people not to go to the banks of the river.

“The water level of the Ganga is rising in the wake of incessant rains. Don’t visit the Ganga ghats. Stay alert and safe,” the announcement said.

Similar announcements were also made in Rudraprayag district as the water level of Alaknanda and Mandakini rose advising people to move to safer places.

Heavy rains have caused a string of natural disasters in Uttarakhand over the past one month claiming at least ten lives and leaving many people missing.

Rain fury has been claiming lives in the state almost on a daily basis.

Two people were killed in the state in separate rain-related incidents in Tehri and Pithoragarh districts on Sunday.

Six people were killed and 11 went missing as heavy rains and a series of cloudbursts wreaked havoc in various districts of Uttarakhand early on August 29, triggering landslides that damaged houses and left people buried under mounds of rubble.

Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Bageshwar districts bore the brunt of the natural calamity on Friday which came close on the heels of the Tharali disaster on August 23 which killed a woman and left another missing.

Uttarakhand has been hit hard by natural calamities this monsoon season.

Before the tragedy in Tharali in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand had already witnessed massive devastation on August 5 when a flash flood in the Kheer Ganga River demolished nearly half of Dharali, a key stopover on the Gangotri route dotted with hotels and homestays.

An army camp at the neighbouring Harsil area was also hit by flash floods. Sixty-nine people, who have been missing after the disaster, are yet to be traced.