Rescue operation continues on the fourth day in Kedarnath
The rescue operation to evacuate pilgrims stranded on the damaged Kedarnath Yatra route continued for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday. During this, 373 people were sent from Kedarnath Dham to Lyncholi, from where they will be airlifted to safer places. Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee Chief Executive Officer Yogendra Singh said that these 373 people, who left from Kedarnath with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other rescue teams, include pilgrims as well as local people and labourers.
Passengers waiting for 570 helicopters
According to Singh, all these people will be taken to safe places by helicopter from Lyncholi. Apart from this, 570 passengers are also waiting for helicopter at Kedarnath helipad. Singh said that the district administration, temple committee and Tirtha Purohit Samaj are providing food packets, water bottles and fruits to all the people stranded in Kedarnath. Meanwhile, 110 passengers stranded on the Rambada Chaumasi footpath have also been evacuated and taken to Chaumasi. So far, more than 534 passengers and local people have been evacuated from this route.
More than 10 thousand people have been rescued so far
Due to heavy rainfall and cloudburst on Wednesday night, the Kedarnath pedestrian route was washed away at many places including Lyncholi, Bhimbali, Ghorapadav and Rambada and at other places the route was damaged due to landslides and large stones falling from the hill, due to which devotees were stranded at many places. Rescue operations are being carried out from ground and air since Thursday morning to evacuate the stranded devotees. Indian Air Force Chinook and MI-17 helicopters have also joined this operation from Friday. So far, about 10 thousand people have been evacuated. Meanwhile, the army has started construction of a pedestrian bridge on the route washed away between Sonprayag-Gaurikund on the Kedarnath National Highway.
Help of search dogs will also be taken
Rudraprayag district administration officials said that the help of two sniffer dogs will now be taken in the rescue operation going on on the Kedarnath route. They said that this operation will be carried out with the help of the army. According to officials, the sniffer dog squad has been landed in Lyncholi by helicopter, from where it will start searching the entire area. Officials believe that many people would have moved towards the forests to save their lives due to fear of rain and during this time, search will be conducted in view of the possibility of them getting lost.
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