Rain in Himachal: 2 killed, 1,196 rescued after suspension of Kinnaur Kailash Yatra

Shimla, Aug 6 (PTI) Two pilgrims died and the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra was suspended after heavy rain damaged the route in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district, officials said on Wednesday.

Following the suspension of the Yatra, a total of 1,196 devotees who were stranded when two makeshift bridges at Tanglippi and Kangarang were washed away due to the increased water flow in streams, were rescued since Tuesday by the police ITBP and NDRF teams Of them, about 230 were brought to safe places through alternate tougher route via Purwani with no disruptions while the rest were rescued through zipline over the streams, Deputy Commissioner Kinnaur Amit Kumar Sharma told The PTI on Wednesday.

About 413 devotees were rescued on Tuesday while 783 were rescued on Wednesday, the officials said.

A pilgrim from West Bengal identified as Rajiv (45) was found dead near Parvati Kund on Tuesday evening. He was with a group but left behind and was found by the police team during a combing operation. The cause of death would be ascertained after the postmortem report comes, he said.

Another person, who slipped from a cliff while travelling on the alternate route, fell in a gorge. The NDRF team at the spot have spotted the body and trying to pull it out of the gorge, the DC added.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) shared videos of rescue operations on X, which showed pilgrims ziplining from one end of the streams to the other.

The Kinnaur district administration received a distress call about the pilgrims stranded on the trek route. In response to the call, the ITBP and the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) launched the rescue operations, the officials said.

The district administration also suspended the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra after the rain led to significant damage along the pilgrimage route. Most of the trekking paths have become either dangerously slippery or have been hit by landslides, posing a serious threat to the safety of pilgrims, according to the officials.

In view of these adverse conditions, the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra is being temporarily suspended until further notice, an official order said.

Pilgrims currently on the route have been safely sheltered at Milling Khata and Gufa, and all necessary arrangements have been made for their safety.

Kinnaur Kailash, considered to be the winter residence of Lord Shiva, is located at an altitude of 19,850 feet.

The yatra began on July 15 and will conclude on August 30.

Heavy rain also upended life in other parts of the state, leading to the closure of 537 roads, including four national highways, and educational institutions.

Meanwhile, with the water level in Pong Dam rising steadily, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) released 23,300 cusecs of water through turbines and spillways on Wednesday evening (5pm) to manage the reservoir's level, which had reached 1372.03 feet earlier in the day.

The BBMB authorities formally alerted the Kangra Deputy Commissioner, Sub divisional magistrates (SDMs) of Fatehpur, Jawali, Indora, Dehra, Nurpur, and other concerned officials 24 hours in advance.

The released water is expected to flow through areas including Fatehpur, Indora, Riyali, Mand, and parts of Hoshiarpur in Punjab, where flood-like conditions have occurred in the past.

The SDM Fatehpur,Vishrut Bharti said vulnerable areas have been notified and the administration is prepared. Residents, especially those in low-lying areas, have been urged to stay alert, avoid riverbanks, and follow safety advisories.

Panchayat officials have also been directed to assist in spreading information and supporting relief efforts if needed, he added.

Moderate to heavy rain continued to lash parts of the state.

Kasauli has received 145 mm of rain since Tuesday night, Dharampur 122.8 mm, Gohar 120 mm, Malraon 103.2 mm, Baggi 95.9 mm, Nagrota Suriyan 93.4 mm, Naina Devi 86.4 mm, Sundernagar 80.8 mm, Shimla and Kangra 71.4 mm each , Bilaspur 70.4 mm, Dharamshala 68.1 mm Dhaulakuan 67 mm, Mandi 65.8 mm and D, according to the meteorological centre.

The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said 537 roads, including four national highways, were cut off on Wednesday. Of these, 316 are in Mandi district, which was recently battered by cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods; and 117 are in Kullu district.

Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH 21), Old Hindustan-Tibet Road (NH 05), Mandi-Dharampur (NH 3) and Aut-Sainj road (NH 305) were closed for vehicular traffic following landslides. Shimla-Kalka National Highway, which was blocked at Chakki Mor near Koti in Solan district, has been opened for vehicular movement, the officials said.

Commuters faced a hard time as road closures led to traffic jams at several places.

Educational institutions, including schools, colleges and anganwadis, were closed in Sunni, Kumarsein, Chopal, Dodra Kwar, Jubbal, Theog and Rampur subdivisions of Shimla district, Karsog and Sundernagar in Mandi district, Nirmand in Kullu district, and some subdivisions in Solan district.

Several schools in Shimla city announced holidays or switched to online classes.

About ten vehicles were buried or damaged in landslides in Nirmand area of Kullu and Tutu area of Shimla district while over five shops were damaged following floods and landslides near utur nallah in Nirmand, reports reaching here said.

Some areas in Shimla city including Bemloe remained without electricity for 6-8 hours as erected trees snapped power lines at several places.

Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited (SJPNL) officials cautioned people about disruption in water supply for the next two-three days due to high turbidity at the source. PTI BPL NB NB