About 1,500 pilgrims stranded along Kedarnath trek route after landslide evacuated

Pilgrims trek to a safer place under the guidance of Uttarakhand DDRF in view of a possible landslide along the Kedarnath route. File | Photo Credit: ANI About 1,500 pilgrims who were stranded in the Chirbasa area along the Kedarnath trek route after a landslide have been evacuated, officials said on Monday (September 28, 2026).Joint teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) rescued the pilgrims and escorted them to Gaurikund after they were stranded late on Sunday (September 27, 2026) night, the SDRF said in a press statement.The 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 site and found debris on the road near the Chirbasa helipad, officials said.Continuous rockfall from the hillside also made the movement of pilgrims extremely hazardous. After assessing the situation, the SDRF, NDRF and DDRF teams launched a joint rescue operation, the officials said.The rescue teams guided the pilgrims across the landslide zone, escorted them to the other side and sent them onward to Gaurikund, according to the statement.The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand remained suspended for the second consecutive day on Sunday (September 27, 2026) because of incessant heavy rain, officials said. Published - September 28, 2026 11:50 am IST