Amid heavy rain in Uttarakhand on Wednesday (July 31), four people, including two children, were killed and several others were injured. Nearly 200 pilgrims on the Kedarnath Yatra route were also stranded.
According to the officials, a house in Haridwar’s Bhauri Dera Shantarshah village collapsed on Wednesday, killing Aas Mohammadand, Nagma, and injuring nine others.
A hotel in Nautad Tok, Bhilangana block of Tehri, Uttarakhand, was washed away after a cloudburst. Two people lost their lives in the incident. District Disaster Management Officer Brijesh Bhatt reported that hotel owner Bhanu Prasad, his wife Neelam Devi, and their son Vipin went missing when the hotel was swept away. The bodies of Bhanu and Neelam were found approximately 100 meters from the location, but Vipin is still unaccounted for.
As a precautionary measure, authorities evacuated markets and hotels in the impacted districts.
The NDRF post on X account about the current situation, saying, "Due to cloudburst in Kedarnath, parts of the footpath near Bhimbali were washed away. 15 NDRF began evacuating stranded pilgrims on the route between Sonprayag and Bhimbali, ensuring their safety by swiftly creating alternative paths amidst challenging conditions."
Due to cloudburst in Kedarnath, parts of the footpath near Bhimbali were washed away. 15 NDRF began evacuating stranded pilgrims on the route between Sonprayag and Bhimbali, ensuring their safety by swiftly creating alternative paths amidst challenging conditions.@NDRFHQ @ukcmo pic.twitter.com/R7O1XeEJkt — 15BN NDRF GADARPUR , UDHAM SINGH NAGAR🇮🇳 (@15bnNdrf) August 1, 2024
The Mandakini River, which passes through Kedarnath and Sonprayag, has overflowed due to heavy rains, resulting in flood-like conditions.
Chaos broke out among pilgrims when the river's water reached the Sonprayag parking lot.
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Due to the flood-like conditions, the District Magistrate of Rudraprayag has paused the pilgrimage. SDRF teams have been sent to help people along the Mandakini River and keep them safe. Authorities have advised residents in Gaurikund to stay alert.
In another incident in Chamoli, a house collapsed at Belchori and a woman and a child were missing. An SDRF team has left for the spot.
“Due to heavy rains in Kedarnath, around 20 to 25 meters of footpath near Bhimbali have been washed out, and large boulders have fallen onto the path. Rescue teams have been deployed to the site,” Banshidhar Tiwari, Director General (Information), said in a statement.
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Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami spoke to the disaster management secretary regarding the heavy rain and gatheredinformation about the current situationand relief and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for several districts in Uttarakhand.
Notably,Uttarakhand has reported over 30 deaths in rain-related disasters since June 15.
(With inputs from agencies)