Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand), June 18
An ominous shadow seems to have descended on the Kedarnath pilgrimage with Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district recording two tragedies so far this week - one aerial and one terrestrial - with bad weather playing a role.
Two days after a helicopter crashed near the district's Gaurikund area on Sunday, leaving seven, including a 23-month-old child, dead, Rudraprayag was back in the news as at least two people were killed, one was missing, and three others, including a woman, were injured after large boulders rolled down from the mountain on a trekking route on Wednesday.
While the helicopter crash led the authorities to crack down on the firm and the Civil Aviation Ministry ordered the regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, to strictly enforce norms for chopper operations in hilly areas and not compromise on passenger safety, the landslide deaths also indicate that weather reports were neglected and the trekkers were not intimated.
Though the toll from the two incidents is in the single digits so far, the trauma caused to the kin of the victims cannot be denied, and questions can be posed to the authorities.
The latest accident came as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for several parts of Uttarakhand, warning of heavy rainfall.
In the wake of the incident, authorities have urged pilgrims and residents to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay alert to the risks of floods and landslides in the affected zones.
Wednesday's incident occurred near the Junglechatti ghat along the Kedarnath Yatra trekking route around 11.20 a.m. when a landslide sent boulders crashing onto the pathway, striking pilgrims, porters, and palanquin operators amid heavy foot traffic on the sacred trail, rescue officials said.
Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the police swiftly reached the site to begin evacuation and medical assistance.
According to sector officer Bhim Bali, one more person was missing, and search operations were underway.
"The Rudraprayag police, local police units, and DDRF teams responded immediately and managed to rescue the injured. The woman sustained minor injuries, while two seriously injured men were referred to the Gaurikund health centre for further treatment," a police spokesperson said.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the incident and also directed the administration to provide immediate relief assistance