More than 10,000 pilgrims stranded on the Kedarnath route in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district were safely rescued after a massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall blocked the main highway, officials said on Thursday.
According to officials, the landslide struck the Munkatiya area between Sonprayag and Gaurikund late Tuesday night following intense rain in the region. The debris blocked the key route, leaving thousands of pilgrims stranded.
The situation became increasingly challenging due to continuous rockfalls, heavy rain, darkness and difficult mountainous terrain, posing a serious risk to travellers.
The District Control Room (DCR) in Rudraprayag alerted the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) at around 9:16 pm. An SDRF team from Sonprayag immediately rushed to the affected site with rescue equipment.
Soon after, the SDRF and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) launched a joint rescue and relief operation.
Rescue teams successfully evacuated 10,450 stranded pilgrims by guiding them across the affected stretch under adverse weather conditions. Officials said rescue personnel continuously motivated and assisted pilgrims despite heavy rainfall and poor visibility.
The evacuated pilgrims were shifted to designated safe locations as part of precautionary measures.
After completing the rescue mission, authorities deployed JCB machines to remove debris and clear the blocked route.
Officials later restored the highway and resumed normal vehicular movement in the area.
SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said rescue teams deployed across the pilgrimage route had remained on high alert, enabling a rapid and coordinated response.
He added that pre-positioning of rescue personnel played a crucial role in ensuring swift action and minimising risk during the operation.
Authorities confirmed that debris removal work was completed and stranded vehicles were allowed to proceed once the route was cleared.
