Sonprayag: Five pilgrims died and three sustained injuries after being buried under debris falling from a hill near the landslide-affected region of the Sonprayag area in Uttarakhand on Tuesday.
Police statement
According to Uttarakhand Police, information was received about some travellers reportedly buried under the debris, following which a joint operation was carried out by the police, administration, state disaster response forces, and national disaster response forces.
"In the landslide-affected area near the Sonprayag area, some travellers were reported to be buried under debris falling from the hill. On this information, during a joint rescue operation by the police, administration, SDRF and NDRF, 03 persons were rescued in an injured condition and 01 was found dead," Uttarakhand Police said on social media platform X.
Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand: 5 people died after being buried under debris in a landslide near Sonprayag area following torrential rain. Relief and rescue operations are underway#Uttarakhand #Rudraprayag #Sonprayag #Death pic.twitter.com/k4tERXyNzH
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) September 10, 2024
5 bodies recovered
Five bodies have so far been recovered from landslide debris, said the police.
District disaster management officer Nandan Singh Rajwar identified those dead as Gopal, 50, Durgabai Khapar, 50, Samanbai, 50, from Madhya Pradesh, Nepal’s Titli Devi, 70, Bharat Bhai, 52, a resident of Gujarat’s Surat. He added the injured Jeevach Tiwari, 60, from Nepal, Manpreet Singh, 30, from West Bengal, and Chhagan Lal, 45, of Madhya Pradesh were undergoing treatment.
Condolences by CM
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who offered his condolences to the families of those killed, said rescuers were immediately dispatched to the scene. “The injured were immediately sent to Sonprayag through ambulance for treatment.”
The landslide hit a 150-metre stretch of highway between Sonprayag and Munkatiya on Monday evening. Officials said some more people may still be buried under the debris.
Relief and rescue operations are still underway.(with Agency inputs)