Pilgrim death toll rises to 99

MUSSOORIE: The pilgrim death toll during the Char Dham yatra due to cardiac arrest and other ailments has gone up to 99, officials said.

With four deaths on Saturday, the toll at Kedarnath has gone up to 48. The toll at Badrinath Dham has reached 19. In Yamunotri and Gangotri, the death tally has risen to 32, according to disaster management officials from Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts, where Char Dhams are located.

On Saturday two pilgrims died each in Gangotri and Yamunotri,

Shailja Bhatt, director general, health, said, “we are making all possible all efforts to curb the death of the pilgrims most of whom are elderly persons. Our medical staff along with paramedical staff deployed on the Char Dham routes are conducting screening at various places.”

BK Shukla, chief medical officer, Rudraprayag, said, “With four more deaths on Saturday the death tally has reached 48 so far at Kedarnath.”

He said the deceased have been identified as Shekhar Babu, 64, resident of Andhra Pradesh, Pema Patidar, 71, of Madhya Pradesh, Premji Ramji Bai Yadav, 62, of Gujarat and Birendra Singh Katara, 70, of MP.

So far 42,652 devotees, including 30,855 men and 11,797 women, have been tested and treated through OPDs. On Saturday 267 passengers were provided oxygen. So far, 1,111 passengers have been provided oxygen, said health officials.

An appeal is being made by the Rudraprayag district administration to the pilgrims who come to visit Kedarnath shrine that they should reach only after registering themselves and those who have any health problems should compulsorily get a health check-up done at the various medical units set up on the route.

Diwan Singh Rana Nayab Teshildar Ukhimath in Rudraprayag district said. “There are 10 shops selling warm clothes in Saitapur, 15 shops in Sonprayag, 20 shops in Gaurikund and 6 shops in Kedarnath from where pilgrims can get warm clothes”.

Seven trekkers go missing in Uttarakhand

Seven trekkers have gone missing on Pandav Shera trek in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district at a height of around 4500 metres, said officials. After State Disaster Response Force was informed about the incident, a High-Altitude Rescue team of SDRF was sent in a Chopper to Rudraprayag to launch a search and rescue operation on Saturday evening.

Lalita Negi, media in-charge SDRF, said the seven trekkers are from Uttarakhand and were making some documentary in Pandav Shera trekking area.

“There has been no contact with them after Friday,” she said.