DEHRADUN: A multi-agency rescue operation continued at Kedarnath for the fourth day with 400 people still stranded after severe rains ravaged the area on Wednesday night. Over 1,200 individuals, including pilgrims and locals, were moved to safer locations on Sunday, even as the Indian Army began constructing a footbridge on the damaged stretch between Sonprayag and Gaurikund on the Kedarnath National Highway to facilitate further evacuations.
The district management department said, “Approximately 400 people were escorted on foot from Kedarnath to Lincholi, from where they were airlifted to various locations, including Char Dham and Sirsi helipads.”
Five small helicopters have been deployed for the rescue efforts, airlifting around 640 people from Lincholi, Bhimbali, and Kedarnath.
Since the rescue operations began on Thursday, 2,622 individuals have been airlifted from different locations, including 138 from Lincholi, 2,409 from Bhimbali, and 75 from Chidbasa. As of Sunday, 10,374 people have been rescued from along the Kedarnath trek route.
Dense clouds over Kedarnath and the upper route have significantly disrupted rescue operations. The Indian Air Force’s Chinook helicopter has been grounded due to persistent bad weather, while the MI-17 helicopter has managed only three flights, rescuing 60 people despite adverse conditions.
Officials said all passengers have been evacuated from Gaurikund, leaving only locals, shopkeepers, and animal handlers in the area. “Most people from Bhimbali and Lincholi have also been rescued. However, about 50 remain in Lincholi, and around 350 people, including tourists, devotees, priests, and shopkeepers, are still at Kedarnath,” an official said.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) continues its search operation in the Lincholi area, which suffered extensive damage from a flash flood near Junglechatti on Wednesday night.
#Rescue #operation #continues #stranded #Kedarnath #route #Dehradun #News #Times #India
