At least three pilgrims were killed in a landslide triggered by rains when they were en route to Uttarakhand's Kedarnath temple today, officials said.
Eight people were also injured in the accident, which occurred near the Chirbasa area on the Gaurikund-Kedarnath trekking route in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district. They have been taken to a hospital.
The victims have been identified as Kishore Arun Parate (31), from Maharashtra's Nagpur, Sunil Mahadev Kale (24), a resident of Maharashtra's Jalna district, and Anurag Bisht from Rudraprayag, an official told the news agency PTI.
"Devotees were buried under the debris at Chirbasa on the Kedarnath Yatra route. Teams of the State Disaster Response Force and District Disaster Response Force are carrying out rescue operations," Rudraprayag's District Magistrate posted on X.
"Efforts are underway to minimise the possibility of injuries and loss of lives. The district administration has requested travellers to stay in a safe place," the senior official added.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.
"Relief and rescue work is going on at the site of the accident. I am constantly in touch with the officials in this regard. Instructions have been given to provide better treatment to those injured in the accident," he wrote on X.
Earlier in the day, the Gangotri National Highway near Bishanpur was closed due to a landslide.
Landslides triggered by heavy rains over the past few weeks have left some of Uttarakhand's key highways blocked.
The weather office has issued a red alert in Uttarakhand for Sunday and Monday and said parts of the state are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall in the period.
Char Dham Yatra
Kedarnath temple is part of the Char Dham Yatra, which began on May 10 this year. The Char Dham Yatra, during which devotees also cover Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, holds profound spiritual significance in Hinduism and the journey typically occurs from April-May to October-November.
It is believed that one should complete the Char Dham Yatra in a clockwise direction. So, the pilgrimage starts from Yamunotri, proceeds towards Gangotri, onto Kedarnath, and finally ends at Badrinath.
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