Yamunotri yatra halted after 2 dead, 2 missing for more than 24 hrs
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Dehradun/Uttarkashi: The Yamunotri pilgrimage has been suspended for now, a day after a landslide near Nau Kainchi Bhairav Temple, about 1.5km before Yamunotri Dham on the footpath to the shrine, killed a man and his daughter, left two pilgrims missing and one injured.
The landslide, triggered by heavy rain, hit around 4pm on Monday, prompting officials to halt the yatra for safety while repair and clearance work began at the site.
Uttarkashi DM Prashant Kumar Arya ordered the suspension of the yatra from Jankichatti. "The trek route was closed for Tuesday till loose boulders are cleared and a damaged railing on the pedestrian path is repaired. Pilgrims have been advised to stay at designated shelters," he said.
On Monday, large boulders rolled down the hillside, damaging the route and trapping several pilgrims. A rescue team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), supported by local police and later the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), rushed to the site.
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Harishankar, 47, and his nine-year-old daughter Khyati, both from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, were killed. They were among a group trekking to the temple when the rocks hit them.
Another pilgrim, Rasik Bhai, a resident of Tripathi Nivas near Pratap Nagar West in Mumbai, was rescued and taken to the primary health centre in Jankichatti, where his condition is stable.
Two other pilgrims — Bhavika Sharma, 11, from Krishna Vihar, Delhi, and Kamlesh Jethwa, 35, from Thane, Mumbai — are still missing. Search and rescue teams continued operations on Tuesday despite poor weather and unstable terrain.
"The terrain is unstable, and with rains forecasted in the coming days, we're taking every precaution to secure the route before reopening," said an SDRF official.
Authorities are also restoring an alternative pedestrian route via Bheneli Gad, expected to be ready by Tuesday night. If the weather improves and the route is declared safe, the yatra may resume on Wednesday, officials added.
The incident occurred amid heavy pre-monsoon rainfall in Uttarakhand.
In the past week, parts of the state recorded up to 490% excess rain in a single 24-hour period, triggering landslides even in popular tourist zones such as Mussoorie's Kempty Falls. Since last June, the state has seen over 1,800 landslides — more than double the previous year — with at least 82 people killed and 28 reported missing.
So far this season, over 4.8 lakh pilgrims have visited Yamunotri. Seventeen deaths have been reported, of which 16 have been attributed to health issues such as cardiac arrest and high-altitude sickness. The district administration has urged pilgrims to follow official advisories and avoid travel during adverse weather. Residents have also questioned the state's preparedness and called for longer-term solutions instead of short-term repairs.
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Other lost memories The highway to Gangotri that ran through Dharali doesn't exist; in its place is a stream. Large boulders cover what was once a salon in the village run by Rakesh Thakur. Locals say it was the rendezvous point for all the migrants, most of them, like Rakesh, from Bihar. The Kalp Kedar temple, too, was central to their lives. It now lies in ruins, with many feared trapped inside. Of the 68 missing people, 13 are workers from Bihar. Every Janmashtami, a group of 45 migrant workers would assemble at the temple to prepare a bhog (feast) for the entire village. It was a practice that Devraj Sharma, a carpenter from Bihar, started years ago. Devraj and his two sons are among the men from Bihar who are among the missing. Dharali cannot move on without the temple being restored. It was here that the village assembled for daily aarti at 6 pm. It's also where the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) held their medical camps. The ITBP, which holds its medical camps on the village temple premises, was among the first responders when the floods struck. Among its many personnel is Dr Archana, an Assistant Commandant Medical Officer. Deployed at the ITBP's Uttarakhand headquarters in Nelong Valley, around 40 km from Dharali, since July 2024, the Haryana resident is the only healthcare link for Dharali, Mukhwa, Harsil, and Bagori villages. Though a primary healthcare centre runs out of Mukhwa, 3 km away, villagers prefer to flock to her office for their health needs. On August 5, hours after the floods, Dr Archana reached the village around 4 pm. From sutures to assisting pregnant women, she tended to all. From Dharali, the victims were rushed to the ITBP's Kopang outpost, around 8 km away. While administering first aid, her mind was occupied by thoughts of the priests at the Kalp Kedar temple. 'Whenever we held a camp at the temple, they would feed me, help me with errands. When it was time for the 6 pm aarti, I would join them. I have yet to hear back from them,' she says. Scrolling through her phone, she stops at a picture of her at the temple, playing with two dogs. 'I thought the flood had hit only a few structures. By the time I reached Dharali, the entire village was under mud,' she says. These days, Dr Archana spends hours checking her patient records. 'I don't have everyone's contact numbers but I am checking my records for other names so I can find out if they are safe,' she says. Another day at Dharali, at a rescue site, sudden barks from a cadaver canine put the ITBP personnel on high alert. 'Is there something over there?' asks an onlooker, as rescuers dig, only to unearth a mule's carcass. 'This could take weeks,' says a rescuer, getting back to digging.
