Two pilgrims were killed and two others were seriously injured on Wednesday, June 18, after boulders fell at Jungle Chatti on the Kedarnath route in Uttarakhand due to heavy rainfall. The incident occurred while several pilgrims were trekking the route, when suddenly large stones came rolling down.
Landslide Near Jungle Chatti
The identities of the deceased devotees have not yet been confirmed. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police and local authorities have temporarily halted the yatra to investigate the incident.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for some districts of Uttarakhand, including Bageshwar and Pithoragarh, as heavy rainfall is likely today. Other districts are also likely to receive rain accompanied by heavy winds. Heavy Rainfall conditions are expected till June 23.
Earlier on Sunday, a helicopter carrying pilgrims from Kedarnath crashed, killing all seven people aboard, including a two-year-old girl. As per the preliminary investigation, the crash occurred due to bad weather. The chopper went down to the forest area under the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand.
“The valley was covered in dense fog with overcast conditions at time of the incident," said state disaster response force commandant Arpan Yadhuvanshi, reported Hindustan Times.