Shimla: After a massive cloudburst in Uttarkashi’s Dharali area on Tuesday, Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district was also hit by a ferocious cloudburst in the high-altitude tribal district of Kinnaur, leading to relentless rains and flash floods, which disrupted the Kinnaur Kailash yatra, an annual pilgrimage.
Deputy Commissioner Kinnaur Amit Kumar Sharma said, “One pilgrim, Rajib Kundu, a 45-year-old male from West Bengal, lost his life, while another one who fell from the cliff while travelling on the alternate route, fell in a gorge.”
In a massive rescue operation, 783 pilgrims, who got stranded, were rescued and lodged at an army camp at Shongtong. Rescue operations started on August 5 by the ITBP, NDRF, and local authorities at Kangrang Nala, and 413 pilgrims were rescued.
Sharma said that in total, 1,196 persons have been rescued and taken to safe places. The army authorities are taking care of their lodging temporarily.
Details received at Shimla said as many as 402 pilgrims, who had gone for yatra from Malling Khata village, were stranded, after which a rescue operation was launched to rescue the pilgrims.
Out of these, 177 pilgrims were brought back safely to Malling Khata the same day. However, due to worsening weather conditions and rising water levels in a stream flowing through the region, as many as 225 pilgrims got stranded in a cave.
“All of them are safe, and arrangements have been made for their meals. They are being provided with medical facilities at the hospital. The remaining stranded people are also being rescued and brought directly to the army camp,” said the Deputy Commissioner
Asked if it was a cloudburst, Sharma said it can’t be said with certainty, but there was a massive flash flood after torrential rains. Two bridges on Kangarang Nallah had washed away as a result of a flash flood. These pilgrims were stranded at Malling Khatta to go on the yatra. However, they got stranded at Malling Khata due to the cloudburst.
A team of the ITBP, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached the spot and carried out an overnight rescue operation, and all the stranded pilgrims were safely rescued and brought to safer places.
Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Kalpa, said bridges at Tanglippi and Kangarang have been washed away due to the increased water flow in the streams.