Himachal Pradesh: Kinnaur Kailash Yatra suspended, 413 pilgrims rescued after heavy rain damages route

The Kinnaur Kailash Yatra in Himachal Pradesh has been suspended after heavy rain damaged trekking routes. ITBP and NDRF rescued 413 stranded pilgrims. Statewide, 617 roads are shut due to landslides, and schools have been closed in several districts

Shimla: The Kinnaur Kailash Yatra was suspended and 413 stranded devotees were rescued after heavy rain damaged the pilgrimage route in Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday.

The devotees were stranded after two makeshift bridges at Tanglippi and Kangarang were washed away due to the increased water flow in streams, they said. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) shared videos of rescue operations on X, which showed pilgrims ziplining from one end of the streams to the other.

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The Kinnaur district administration received a distress call about the pilgrims stranded on the trek route. In response to the call, the ITBP and the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) launched the rescue operations, the officials said.

The Kinnaur district administration suspended the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra after the rain led to significant damage along the pilgrimage route. Most of the trekking paths have become either dangerously slippery or have been hit by landslides, posing a serious threat to the safety of pilgrims, according to the officials.

In view of these adverse conditions, the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra is being temporarily suspended until further notice, an official order said. Pilgrims currently on the route have been safely sheltered at Milling Khata and Gufa, and all necessary arrangements have been made for their safety.

Kinnaur Kailash, considered to be the winter residence of Lord Shiva, is located at an altitude of 19,850 feet. The yatra began on July 15 and will conclude on August 30.

Heavy rain also upended life in other parts of the state, leading to the closure of 617 roads, including four national highways, and educational institutions. Moderate to heavy rain continued to lash parts of the state.

Kasauli has received 145 mm of rain since Tuesday night, Dharampur 122.8 mm, Gohar 120 mm, Malraon 103.2 mm, Baggi 95.9 mm, Nagrota Suriyan 93.4 mm, Naina Devi 86.4 mm, Sundernagar 80.3 mm, Kangra 71.4 mm, Bilaspur 70.4 mm, Dhaulakuan 67 mm, Mandi 65.8 mm, Shimla 64.4 mm and Dharamshala 64 mm, according to the meteorological centre.

The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said 617 roads, including four national highways, were cut off on Wednesday. Of these, 377 are in Mandi district, which was recently battered by cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods; and 90 are in Kullu district.

Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH 21), Old Hindustan-Tibet Road (NH 05), Mandi-Dharampur (NH 3) and Aut-Sainj road (NH 305) were closed for vehicular traffic following landslides. Shimla-Kalka National Highway, which was blocked at Chakki Mor near Koti in Solan district, has been opened for vehicular movement, the officials said.

Commuters faced a hard time as road closures led to traffic jams at several places. Educational institutions, including schools, colleges and anganwadis, were closed in Sunni, Kumarsein, Chopal, Dodra Kwar, Jubbal, Theog and Rampur subdivisions of Shimla district, Karsog and Sundernagar in Mandi district, Nirmand in Kullu district, and some subdivisions in Solan district.

Several schools in Shimla city announced holidays or switched to online classes. Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited (SJPNL) officials cautioned people about a disruption in water supply for the next three days due to high turbidity at the source.

Since the onset of monsoon on June 20, Himachal Pradesh has incurred losses totalling Rs 1,852 crore. Around 108 people have died in rain-related incidents, while 36 are missing. Additionally, 1,491 power distribution transformers and 265 water supply schemes have been affected, the SEOC said. It said 1,738 houses have been fully or partially damaged in the state, which has witnessed 55 flash floods, 28 cloudbursts and 48 major landslides so far.