At least five people, including three women, lost their lives and three others were injured after being buried in a landslide near Sonprayag on the Kedarnath Yatra route.
The Rudraprayag district administration reported that the incident occurred Monday evening between Gaurikund and Sonprayag, where travellers were caught in the landslide. A joint rescue operation involving police, district authorities, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was promptly launched.
Late that night, three people were rescued with injuries, while one unconscious person was later declared dead.
Rescue efforts faced challenges due to adverse weather and falling debris, forcing teams to halt operations temporarily. The district police had stopped movement on the route for safety, but the victims had already passed through before the closure.
On Tuesday morning, as the weather improved, rescue teams recovered three more victims — two women and one man — who were also later declared dead. A short time later, another woman was found unconscious and later confirmed dead.
The victims have been identified as Gopal (50) and Durgabai Khapar (50) from Madhya Pradesh, Samanbai (50) from Gujarat, Titli Devi (70) from Nepal, and Bharat Bhai Niralal (52) from Gujarat.
The route, which had been blocked, is now open for pedestrians, and stranded pilgrims have been safely moved from Gaurikund to Sonprayag. SP Rudraprayag Akshay Prahlad Konde, who was on a Kedarnath tour, has been overseeing the ongoing rescue operations.