DEHRADUN: A devastating incident occurred on Sunday morning during the Char Dham Yatra when three pilgrims lost their lives and one was injured in a landslide on the Kedarnath pedestrian path. The victims were caught in the debris due to continuous landslides caused by heavy rainfall. The injured pilgrim was rescued from the rubble and admitted to a hospital for treatment.The deceased were identified as Kishore Arun Parate, 31, from Nagpur, Sunil Mahadev Kale, 24, from Jalna district, Maharashtra and Anurag Bisht, resident of Tilwada, in Rudraprayag.Speaking to TNIE, the District Disaster Management Officer of Rudraprayag, Nandan Singh Rajwar told, “The emergency control room received a report at around 7:30 am on Sunday that some pilgrims were buried under debris and boulders that fell from the hillside along the Kedarnath yatra route, near Chirbasa.Upon information, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams and local police rushed to the spot and started rescue and relief operations.”SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra told this newspaper, “Upon arriving at the scene, the team promptly rescued eight injured individuals and immediately transported them to the hospital. Unfortunately, three pilgrims had lost their lives at the site, and their bodies were handed over to the district police by the SDRF team”.Relief and rescue efforts are underway at the accident site, with a search operation continuing for other pilgrims feared buried under the debris. DDMO Rajwar further told that the situation is under control, and the route for the yatra has been slightly altered in view of the rescue and relief operations. The authorities are working tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of all pilgrims and to facilitate the smooth continuation of the yatra.
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