Kedarnath Yatra movement restricted in Rudraprayag amid heavy rains, bus accident death toll rises to 4

Heavy and continuous rainfall has significantly disrupted the Kedarnath Yatra in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, leading authorities to restrict movement on the critical Sonprayag-Munkatiya road. This route, serving as a base point for pilgrims heading to Kedarnath Dham, has been intermittently blocked due to persistent debris and stone falls near the Sonprayag shuttle bridge and in the sliding zone area near Munkatiya. Rudraprayag Police stated that pilgrims were temporarily stopped at Sonprayag and Gaurikund for safety, with movement resuming cautiously after debris clearance.

The district police are carefully managing the opening and closing of the road, ensuring pilgrim safety with constant vigilance from concerned agencies, administrative officials, and police. Pilgrims undertaking the Kedarnath Dham Yatra have been advised to proceed with extreme caution and to regularly monitor weather forecasts due to the challenging conditions caused by continuous rain and landslides.

Meanwhile, search and rescue operations are continuing for the second day on the Alaknanda River following a bus accident in Rudraprayag on Thursday. The bus, traveling from Rudraprayag to Badrinath, collided with an oncoming vehicle in the Gholtir area and plunged into a 300-meter-deep gorge, ultimately landing in the Alaknanda River. The death toll from this tragic incident has risen to four, after the body of a missing passenger, identified as Gauri Soni, was recovered near the Srinagar dam in Pauri Garhwal.

Multiple teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), assisted by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), are deployed along various points of the Alaknanda River, utilizing binoculars and rafts in their extensive search for any remaining missing persons. The challenging terrain and strong river currents are complicating rescue efforts as authorities work to locate all victims.