Rains disrupt Badrinath pilgrimage, toll rises to 13
PAURI GARHWAL/DEHRADUN: The death toll due to heavy rains across Uttarakhand went up from 10 to 13 on Saturday as a mother-son duo from Landsdowne in Pauri Garhwal district succumbed to their injuries and a woman drowned in a swollen river in Gairsain.
In Chamoli district, Vimla Devi, 50, of Talli Kunigar village in Gairsain was swept away when she was crossing the rainfed rivulet at about 7 am on Friday evening. Her body was recovered from Ramnagaon of Chaukhutiya block on Saturday morning, about 10 km away from the site of accident.
Dipa Devi, 28, and her 4-yearold son of village Reetha in Lansdowne Tehsil were badly hurt when one of the walls of their house collapsed on Friday night. They were taken to the Cantt hospital, Lansdowne for medical attention where they died despite the best efforts of the doctors there.
The Badrinath and Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage in Uttarakhand were disturbed as routes were temporarily blocked at many places due to landslides, local disaster management officials said.
The Badrinath route was closed at landslide prone area Lambagad in Chamoli. Apart from this, the 14th group of Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims was not given permission to mover ahead at Didihaat due to torrential rain.
The Gangotri and Yamunotri pilgrimages are progressing as the routes are clear despite rains lashing that part of the state, an official said.
The Ganga river was flowing above danger level of 293 meters in Haridwar and 238 meters in Rishikesh with the district administration on its guard to prepare for any eventuality. Rains continued to lash Rudraprayag on Saturday.
The Gaurikund highway was blocked at some places, leading to temporary disruption of the Kedarnath pilgrimage as the work was on to clear the route by PWD other agencies.
Ten houses in village Jogiyana of Yamkeshwar block were pushed to the danger zone because of the flash flood in the Havel River and the administration asked the people to vacate their houses and go to safer places.