Uttarakhand Rains: 5 Killed in Landslide in Rudraprayag, 3 Were Gujarat Pilgrims

Dehradun: Five people, including three pilgrims from Gujarat, died after being buried under the debris of a landslide on the Kedarnath Yatra route in Rudraprayag district as the MeT department on Friday warned of heavy rains in six districts of Uttarakhand for the next few days.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami undertook a ground inspection of the rain-hit Kotdwar area where a man had gone missing in a landslide a couple of days ago and several bridges were damaged, cutting off a large population from the rest of the state.

Assembly Speaker and local MLA Ritu Khanduri was also present with Dhami doing his ground inspection.

Dhami directed Pauri District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan to work on the repair of the damaged bridge in Gadighati. He also inspected the alternative bridge over Malan River connecting Kotdwar and Bhabar.

Five persons travelling in a car were buried under the debris of a landslide at Tarsali in Phata area on the Kedarnath Yatra route in Rudraprayag district Thursday night but their bodies were recovered on Friday as there was a let-up in incessant rains. 

 The dead included three devotees from Gujarat and one from Haridwar. Efforts were on to identify the fifth victim, police said.

The Meteorological Department has issued an “orange” alert for heavy rain in six districts of the state for Friday

Dhami said he has instructed the district administration and SDRF to remain in alert mode for 24 hours and he is also monitoring every situation by establishing contact with the concerned authorities.

Dehradun Meteorological Centre has issued an “orange” alert for Tehri, Dehradun, Pauri, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts for Friday and a  “red” alert from August 12 to 14.

The centre has asked the administration to take adequate precautions while issuing warnings.

Normal life has been badly affected in the state due to incessant rains. Due to excessive rains this year, natural calamities like landslides, floods and cloudbursts have caused huge loss of life and property in the state.

According to information received from the State Emergency Operation Centre, 58 people have lost their lives and 37 people have been injured so far in various incidents during this monsoon while 19 others are missing.

In addition, 1,167 houses were damaged, including 33 which were completely damaged, and a large amount of agricultural land was also washed away.

Roads and bridges have also suffered a lot due to the rains in the state.