Shimla, Aug 6
In a major rescue effort, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), in coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), rescued 413 stranded pilgrims from the Kinnaur Kailash trek route in Himachal Pradesh after two makeshift bridges on the trail were washed away due to torrential rains and cloudbursts.
Heavy rainfall in the region triggered cloudbursts and caused a bridge over the Tangling drain to be swept away on Wednesday morning, leaving scores of tourists and pilgrims stranded on the remote trekking route.
Responding swiftly, a rescue team from the ITBP's 17th Battalion carried out the evacuation using a rope-based traverse crossing technique, successfully moving all 413 individuals to safer areas.
"The rescue operation is being carried out by 1 Gazetted Officer, 4 Subordinate Officers, and 29 Other Ranks of ITBP, in coordination with one team of 14 NDRF," the ITBP said in a statement.
Following a distress call from the Kinnaur District Administration earlier in the day regarding more people being stranded, ITBP and NDRF teams were immediately remobilised to the site. Rescue operations are still ongoing, officials confirmed.