Officials begin rescue operation after pilgrims stranded due to landslide in northern India
by Surya PrakashLocation Pithoragarh district, northern India's Uttarakhand. Date: 2023-05-30
Officials of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) began a rescue operation to save the trapped pilgrims who were returning from Adi Kailash Yatra, in northern India’s Uttarakhand.
This incident happened in Dharchula and Gunji after the Lipulekh-Tawaghat road was washed away 100 metres after a large part of a hill fell on it, in Pithoragarh district on May 30.
Visuals showed the chilling moment when parts of the hill broke down and crumbled on the road. The SDRF team were seen at work as they attempted to save the ones who were trapped. A woman was seen being helped out of the debris and rescued with the help of a rope by the officials.
“On the outskirts of Pithoragarh, the Lipulekh-Tawaghat motor road, 45 km above Dharchula, near Lakhanpur, has been washed away 100 meters due to a landslide. About 300 people are trapped in Dharchula and Gunji,” the district administration said, according to a report. Noticing that stones were falling continuously from one side of the hill and a large amount of debris had gathered which would have taken a lot of time to clear, the SDRF team, led by constable Naveen Kumar, used an alternative route to help the stranded pilgrims.
Using that route, 40 passengers were rescued and taken to the KMVN guest house. Among the ones rescued included women and elderly people. The rescue operation was underway and the stranded people are being provided with food and water, as per a report. Besides, it has also been learnt that the work of clearing debris is underway and is expected to be completed by June 2.
Meanwhile, an alert for dust storms and thundershowers were issued for the Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Garhwal, Hardwar, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar and Uttarkashi districts of the state.
