About 1,500 pilgrims were stranded on the Kedarnath trek after the landslide evacuation

Pilgrims are traveling to a safer place under the guidance of Uttarakhand DDRF in view of possible landslide along the Kedarnath route. File | Photo credit: ANI

About 1,500 pilgrims stranded in the Chirbasa area along the Kedarnath trekking route following a landslide have been evacuated, officials said on Monday (Sep 28, 2026).

Joint teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) rescued the pilgrims and escorted them to Gaurikund after they got stranded late on Sunday (September 27, 2026) night, the SDRF said in a press statement.

Sonprayag police received information that several pilgrims were stranded in the Chirbasa area — about 3 km from Gaurikund — due to a landslide. An SDRF team from Sonprayag, led by sub-inspector Ashish Dimri, reached the spot and found debris on the road near the Chirbasa heliport, officials said.

The constant falling of rocks from the slope also made the movement of pilgrims extremely dangerous. After assessing the situation, teams of SDRF, NDRF and DDRF launched a joint rescue operation, officials said.

Rescue teams guided the pilgrims across the landslide zone, escorted them to the other side and sent them onward to Gaurikund, the statement said.

The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand remained suspended for the second consecutive day on Sunday (September 27, 2026) due to incessant heavy rain, officials said.

Published – 28 Sep 2026 11:50 IST