Avalanche Hits Uttarakhand; 1 Dead, 5 Rescued

RHISHIKESH: A group of pilgrims were struck by an avalanche on Sunday in Atlakoti, Uttarakhand, which resulted in the tragic death of one woman and the rescue of five others. A glacier chunk that had broken off at Atlakoti on the Hemkund Sahib Yatra path on Sunday night had left a party of six pilgrims stranded, according to officials.

A woman had vanished following the tragedy, but five of them had been saved. The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) thereafter jointly initiated a search and rescue effort. Later on, the same location yielded the woman's body. The dead has been named as Kamaljit Kaur, according to officials.

"A total of 6 Sikh pilgrims were trapped in this avalanche. ITBP and SDRF successfully rescued five pilgrims on Sunday. During the search this morning, the team found the body of a female pilgrim, Kamaljit Kaur, in the snow," SDRF commandant Manikant Mishra said. According to the SDRF commandant, the body of the woman was handed over to the local police by SDRF.

The yatra of Shri Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand was initially put on hold on May 26 due to snow on the road and a warning of severe rains. It was then resumed on May 28 after two days. On May 20, earlier in the month, the Hemkund Sahib portal opened to worshippers.

On May 20, earlier in the month, the Hemkund Sahib gateway was opened to worshippers.

The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), according to the Chamoli government, has been mobilised for the seamless and secure travel of the pilgrims.

In light of the significant snowfall in Hemkund Sahib, officials claimed earlier in the month that children and anyone over 60 were not permitted to travel.Hemkund Sahib, which translates as "Lake of Snow" in its original language, is the highest Gurudwara in the world, standing 4,633 metres above sea level.

“Due to seven to eight feet of snow in Hemkund Sahib, a ban has been imposed on the travel of children and elders above 60. The doors of Hemkund Sahib are opening on May 20,” read the official notice. 

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