Landslide blocks Kedarnath road; 10,000 stranded pilgrims rescued

More than 10,000 pilgrims were stranded on the Kedarnath yatra route late Tuesday after a landslide blocked the Sonprayag-Gaurikund highway in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag amid continuous rain.

The landslide hit the key Char Dham route during peak pilgrimage season as erratic weather continues to affect pilgrimage routes in Uttarakhand, report Gaurav Talwar & Kautilya Singh. The landslide struck near Munkatiya around 9 pm. Pilgrims were stranded on the two sides of the route. Falling debris and bad weather slowed rescue efforts.

Around 10,450 pilgrims were rescued and moved across the affected stretch, SDRF commandant Arpan Yadhuvanshi said.

"A minor landslide occurred ahead of Gaurikund, on Tuesday night. Earth movers were deployed and most of the debris was cleared by last evening itself. Traffic movement is now completely normal," district magistrate Vishal Mishra said.