📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / KhushiMavi
Religion
Over 6,500 Pilgrims Evacuated After Landslide Blocks Kedarnath Trek Route
✍️ The New Indian Express
🗓 15 Sep 2026, 05:01 AM
👁 10
More than 6,500 devotees heading to Kedarnath were rescued and moved to safety after a landslide rendered the mountain trail impassable.
Authorities reported that a massive landslide on the trekking route to Kedarnath forced the evacuation of over 6,500 pilgrims this week. The slide, triggered by heavy rains in the higher reaches of the Garhwal Himalayas, blocked the narrow mountain path that connects Gaurikund to the shrine, making it unsafe for foot traffic.
Rescue teams comprising state disaster management officials, local police, and volunteer groups mobilised quickly to shepherd the stranded devotees to temporary shelters at Gaurikund. Using a combination of foot patrols and limited vehicular access, the teams escorted the pilgrims to safer zones where basic medical aid and food were provided.
The affected stretch of the Kedarnath yatra has been declared closed until further notice. Pilgrims who were unable to continue their journey were advised to postpone their trek or seek alternative routes to the holy site. Officials said that engineers are assessing the damage and will work on clearing the debris as soon as weather conditions permit.
The incident underscores the vulnerability of high‑altitude pilgrimage routes to sudden natural hazards, prompting calls for improved early‑warning systems and better infrastructure to safeguard future trekkers.
Rescue teams comprising state disaster management officials, local police, and volunteer groups mobilised quickly to shepherd the stranded devotees to temporary shelters at Gaurikund. Using a combination of foot patrols and limited vehicular access, the teams escorted the pilgrims to safer zones where basic medical aid and food were provided.
The affected stretch of the Kedarnath yatra has been declared closed until further notice. Pilgrims who were unable to continue their journey were advised to postpone their trek or seek alternative routes to the holy site. Officials said that engineers are assessing the damage and will work on clearing the debris as soon as weather conditions permit.
The incident underscores the vulnerability of high‑altitude pilgrimage routes to sudden natural hazards, prompting calls for improved early‑warning systems and better infrastructure to safeguard future trekkers.