Rudraprayag, May 22 (IANS). A major accident took place on Thursday morning in Sonprayag area on the Kedarnath Yatra route. Two persons were seriously injured when loose rocks and stones suddenly fell from the hill near Hanuman temple. In this accident, one person died in the hospital while the other person is undergoing treatment.
District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said that the incident took place near the barrier in Sonprayag Market at 8 am on Friday. Umed Singh Negi (48), resident of Badeth and Bam Bahadur (42), resident of Nepal were seriously injured in the accident. Both of them were immediately taken to MRP Hospital in Sonprayag, where Umed Singh Negi died during treatment. Bam Bahadur’s condition is said to be critical and his treatment is going on.
As soon as the information was received, SDRF, police team and sector magistrate reached the spot. The rescue team immediately launched an operation and took the injured to the hospital. The administration has appealed to the travelers to be cautious on the Kedarnath Yatra route.
Nandan Singh Rajwar told IANS, “There was a sudden sliding at 8 am on Friday, in which two persons were trapped. Both were immediately taken to the hospital, where one died. We had already warned two days ago not to make unnecessary movements in this area. I myself had gone to the spot and alerted people.”
He said that sector officers and police are making continuous efforts to remove encroachers from sensitive places but some people are not agreeing. Rajwar appealed to the travelers and local people to follow the guidelines of the administration and cooperate with the sector officers.
After this incident, the administration has intensified the work of removing loose rocks in Sonprayag area. Incidents of stone falling in hilly areas are common during Kedarnath Yatra, due to which pilgrims are being advised to take special caution. The district administration has increased security on the yatra route. Additional teams of SDRF and police have been deployed. Officials said that considering the weather and topography, travelers are being advised to follow guided routes only.
–IANS
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