On July 31, a cloudburst happened in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand and a 30-meter stretch of this walkway leading to this shrine was washed away. Due to a heavy downpour, the ground sliding occurred at the Bhim Bali stream, which is beside the Kedarnath route. Therefore, the number of 150-200 pilgrims may still be trapped in the area, thus raising the alert level among local security forces.
He said SDRF, Police and other officials have been deployed to tackle the situation and help the victims. The consequences of the cloudburst are not fatal or physically harming anyone, but the physical suffering caused by the cloudburst has evoked serious concern over security and the possibility of moving on the path that facilitates pilgrimage.
The disruption comes on the heels of problems that have affected this area. On July 27, the road linking Sonprayag and Kedarnath was badly affected by the surging Sone river water, which was said to have been caused by the rain. This swelling has also affected the traffic flow on this important corridor. Similarly, the level of Alaknanda and Mandakini has also risen, which has worsened the situation and added more trouble to transport and relief operations.
Local administration is also making efforts to resume normal life as soon as possible by removing the debris. They are also closely observing the river levels with the aim of avoiding such occurrences in the future. The further actions are meant to protect the lives of the people and reestablish access to the shrine of Kedarnath, if possible.
More details are being expected as the rescue and recovery process goes on, and the situation is rather flexible at the moment. Pilgrims and residents are urged to get updates from the official communication channels and adhere to the measures set by the authorities.
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