Char Dham Yatra: One killed, two injured after landslide on path to Kedarnath Dham; access suspended till further notice

Char Dham Yatra: One person was killed and two others sustained injuries after a landslide struck the path to Kedarnath Dham near Jangalchatti in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, on Sunday.

The landslide caused large amounts of debris and stones to fall onto the trekking route, blocking the walkway, prompting authorities to suspend the route until further notice.

Police officials say that the landslide was triggered by continuous heavy rainfall, and that a yellow alert has also been issued for the region throughout the week.

Effective security is being ensured for the devotees travelling on the footpath, including those who had left for Kedarnath Dham before the road was damaged, added the police.

Kedarnath Helicopter Crash

Earlier in the day seven people died after a helicopter travelling from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi crashed after going missing in Gaurikund, Uttarakhand, on Sunday, an official said.

Aviation watchdog DGCA said in a statement that it will deploy officers to oversee helicopter activities in Kedarnath region as safety measure.

Who were the 7 killed in chopper crash?

NDRF sources said that seven people on board the helicopter were Rajveer, the pilot, Vikram Rawat, a resident of BKTC, Rasi Ukhimath, Vinod, Trist Singh, Rajkumar, Shraddha and Rashi, a girl aged 10 years.

Rescue teams were immediately dispatched under the direction of SDRF Commander Arpan Yadav. The site of the crash was inaccessible and located in a dense forest area, where joint teams of SDRF, NDRF, and local police carried out rescue operations, reported ANI.

Kedarnath helicopter services suspended

Following the crash, helicopter services for Kedarnath have also been suspended for the next two days.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told news agency ANI that the helicopter service would not run for the next two days.

“Helicopter services will not run today or tomorrow. These services will remain closed until the safety of the passengers is ensured,” he said.