DEHRADUN:

Rescue efforts

continued in full swing along the

landslide

and flash flood-hit

Kedarnath

route, with 1,835 people moved to safer locations on Saturday. The figure includes those rescued via trekking routes or airlifted from various places.
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told TOI that 43 pilgrims were airlifted from Kedarnath, while an additional 495 were

evacuated

from Lincholi and Bhimbali.

Simultaneously, helicopters conducted sorties to transport 75 pilgrims from Cheerbasa near Gaurikund. A total of 1,162 pilgrims reached Sonprayag from Gaurikund through the trekking route. Dhami said, “Despite the formidable challenges, our endeavours to secure the remaining 1,000 individuals are persistently ongoing.”
Disaster management department secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said 882 police personnel and workers were actively engaged in the effort. This includes 83 NDRF personnel, 168 SDRF, DDRF and PRD personnel. “Around 150 labourers, employed by the PWD, are diligently working to repair and reopen all the damaged roads,” he added.
As per the state govt data, so far 17 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents since May 31, with three fatalities in Tehri, four in Haridwar, six in Dehradun, one in Chamoli and three in Rudraprayag. Rudraprayag DM, Saurabh Gaharwar, told TOI: “Cheerbasa helipad is now fully operational, and by afternoon, 75 pilgrims were successfully airlifted.”
Meanwhile, an SDRF team was dispatched to a location near the Triyuginarayan temple where around 10 pilgrims are currently stranded, an official said.