Kedarnath Yatra Halted As Landslides Block Route

Landslides triggered by heavy rains over the past few days in the district blocked the trek route to Kedarnath near Munkatiya, leading to a temporary suspension of the Yatra to the Himalayan temple on Wednesday.

The sudden closure of the road left around 2,500 pilgrims stranded in Gaurikund, Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Akshay Prahlad Konde said, adding they are being brought safely to Sonprayag by SDRF and NDRF teams.

Officials said it will take 2-3 days to repair the road and appealed to pilgrims bound for Kedarnath to visit other places of religious interest in the area during the period.

"Around 50 to 70 metres of the road between Munkatiya and Gaurikund has been completely washed out. An alternative pedestrian route which was being used is also broken. As the quantity of landslide debris is huge, it will take two to three days for the path to become smooth," Konde said.

Information about the opening of the path will be shared through the social media cell of Rudraprayag Police, he said.

SDRF and NDRF personnel are trying to find alternate pedestrian routes through the surrounding forests to evacuate the pilgrims stranded in Gaurikund to Sonprayag, the SP said.

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