PrashantNews
As the weather improved in Uttarakhand, dozens of pilgrims, who were stranded on the Adi Kailash Yatra route in Pithoragarh district for the last three days due to landslides, were rescued by helicopters on Sunday.
Pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Delhi were stranded at different areas when they were returning after visiting Mount Adi Kailash as the yatra route was blocked due to landslides at Chaitaldhar and some other places near Tawaghat in the district.
Top officials said the stranded pilgrims, including 30 from Tamil Nadu, were airlifted from Khela and Bundi to Dharchula by helicopters on Sunday. However, a traveler Swadesh Nandachal, a resident of Jalandhar, Punjab, who was part of this party, died on Saturday due to health problems and his body was brought to Dharchula.
Heavy boulders have blocked the road following massive landslides on Adi Kailash route in view of incessant rains.
A team of Border Road Organization (BRO) is working on war footing to remove debris.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami himself supervised the rescue operation to evacuate the pilgrims following concern expressed by Tamil Nandu Chief Minister M K Stanlin. Appreciating the rescue teams, the Chief Minister said that the safety of pilgrims is the highest priority of the government.