Daijiworld Media Network – Dehradun

Dehradun, Jun 24: In a tragic turn during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra, three pilgrims lost their lives, one remains missing, and multiple others sustained injuries after massive landslides struck the Yamunotri and Badrinath routes on Monday, following heavy rainfall across Uttarakhand.

At around 4 pm, a landslide struck the Nau Kainchi stretch near the Bhairav temple, just 1.5 km from the revered Yamunotri shrine. Massive boulders came crashing down on the pedestrian trail, damaging railings and trapping numerous pilgrims. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, along with local police, rushed to the spot. Later in the evening, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel joined the rescue efforts.

A pilgrim from Mumbai, Rasik, was pulled from the debris with injuries and was admitted to the Jankichatti Primary Health Centre, where his condition is stable. Rasik informed officials that 12-year-old Bhavika from Delhi and a male pilgrim had gone missing. One mutilated body, believed to be that of a teenager, was recovered; the second identity is yet to be confirmed.

Earlier that morning, a separate landslide on the Badrinath highway near Patalganga tunnel in Chamoli district turned deadly. Boulders smashed into a moving car, killing Shilpa (36) from Haryana’s Fatehabad on the spot and injuring her husband Ankit Lal (39) and daughter Khwahish (10). The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital, and Shilpa’s body was sent for post-mortem.

Inspector Karn Singh of the SDRF led the rescue operations. Authorities urged pilgrims to exercise extreme caution, as the region has experienced repeated rockfalls in recent days. On the same day, NH-54 (Badrinath National Highway) remained blocked near Pipalkoti for over six hours due to landslides. The road was reopened to one-way traffic by afternoon, but stabilisation efforts are still ongoing. Chamoli tehsil recorded the highest rainfall in the district — 93.66 mm, increasing the vulnerability of slopes.

Notably, on Saturday, two tourists from Hyderabad, aged 36 and 50, were crushed to death when boulders fell on their motorcycle near Chatwapeepal, between Gauchar and Karnaprayag.

With the yatra witnessing continuous disruptions due to the monsoon-triggered landslides, authorities are appealing to all travellers to stay updated on weather conditions and advisories. The safety of pilgrims remains a top concern as rescue and road clearance operations continue across affected zones.