Two palki (palanquin) workers died on the Kedarnath route after being buried under debris and boulders from a sudden landslide near Junglechatti area.
Photo: IANS
Two palki (palanquin) workers died on the Kedarnath route after being buried under debris and boulders from a sudden landslide near Junglechatti area. Three others were seriously injured and have been admitted to a hospital in Uttarakhand. The incident occurred on Wednesday amid continuous rainfall in the region.
According to reports, four palanquin workers from Jammu and Kashmir and one from Gujarat were caught under heavy debris and falling rocks triggered by incessant rain in the hills near Junglechatti on the Gaurikund-Kedarnath route in the afternoon.
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The deceased have been identified as Nitin Kumar (18) and Chandrashekhar, both residents of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir. They were engaged in ferrying devotees to the Kedarnath shrine on foot using palanquins.
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Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local police launched immediate operations following the landslide. The bodies of the deceased were recovered from under the rubble, while three others were rescued alive.
The injured include Sandeep Kumar and Nitin Manhas, also from Doda, and Akash Chitriya from Bhavnagar, Gujarat. All three are reported to be out of danger but are under medical care.
The District Disaster Management Department, Rudraprayag, confirmed that the landslide occurred due to continued rainfall in the hilly terrain along the Gaurikund-Kedarnath track. Officials stated that the incident was a direct result of debris sliding down from the hills.
Uttarakhand has been witnessing persistent pre-monsoon showers, particularly in hilly areas, for the past few days. The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for several parts of the state and has predicted thunderstorms, lightning, and moderate rainfall in many districts on June 19.
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