Five-year-old dies in rockfall on Kedarnath route; around 1,000 pilgrims rescued

A five-year-old boy died after being struck by a falling stone near Chirbasa on Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath trekking route. Rockfall debris blocked the route, prompting rescue operations for stranded pilgrims. Char Dham Yatra remained suspended amid heavy rainfall and weather alerts

Rudraprayag: A five-year-old boy died on the spot after being struck by a falling stone from a hillside near Chirbasa on the Kedarnath trekking route in Uttarakhand, officials said on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Yash, son of Rohtash Yadav, a resident of Etah in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the District Disaster Management Officer, the police control room received information about a sudden rockfall from a hill near Chirbasa. Yash was hit by the falling stone and succumbed to his injuries at the spot. Following the incident, a rescue team deployed in the area transported the child’s body by palanquin to the MRP Bhairav Temple in Junglechatti.

---

The trekking route near Chirbasa has also been blocked by debris and rocks following the rockfall. Rescue teams have been continuously conducting operations in the area to ensure the safety of pilgrims and facilitate their evacuation to safer locations.

The route remained blocked by falling debris and rocks from late Sunday evening into the night. Officials said around 1,000 pilgrims have been rescued so far, while some others remain on the route. Rescue personnel are working to evacuate them safely.

The Chirbasa area remains vulnerable, with a possibility of intermittent rockfalls from the surrounding hills. Rescue teams have urged pilgrims to exercise extreme caution while moving through the area.

Meanwhile, the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand was suspended for the second consecutive day on Sunday (September 27) due to incessant heavy rainfall across the state. As a result, only a limited number of pilgrims returning towards Gaurikund are currently using the route.

Rescue teams are monitoring their movement and supervising the evacuation process. Rafting activities in the Ganga near Rishikesh were also suspended after heavy rainfall caused the river’s water level to rise rapidly.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert on Sunday for Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Champawat, Nainital and Pauri districts, forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall. Heavy rain has been lashing several parts of Uttarakhand since Saturday, while snowfall in higher-altitude areas has led to a significant drop in temperatures. In Dehradun, the maximum temperature on Sunday was 21.1 degrees Celsius, around nine degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature was 18.2 degrees Celsius.

In view of the heavy rainfall warning, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to remain on high alert round the clock and ensure the safety of people and pilgrims across the state.