A pilgrim lost his life and another was seriously injured after the two slipped and fell into a deep gorge while taking a shortcut on the Kedarnath trekking route in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, officials said on Wednesday.
As per the District Emergency Operation Centre (DEOC), the accident took place between Pole Numbers 337 and 340 on the trekking path. The two young men were descending the route when they reportedly chose an unauthorised shortcut and lost their footing.
The DEOC said authorities received information about the incident on Wednesday, following which rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the spot. Personnel from the Badi Lincholi Sector Office, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), YMF and the police rushed to the area and began rescue operations.
During the rescue effort, SDRF teams pulled out one of the injured pilgrims and shifted him to the Medical Relief Point (MRP) at Chhoti Lincholi for treatment. The injured devotee was identified as Mohit, 27, from Gokulpuri in Delhi. Doctors found that he had suffered a leg fracture. After receiving first aid, he was referred to Gaurikund for further treatment.
The second pilgrim, Priyanshu Shukla, 27, from Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad district, was rescued by YMF personnel and disaster management volunteers and taken to the Medical Relief Point at Bhimbali. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival, officials said.
The DEOC said the body is being taken to Gaurikund and will later be shifted to the District Hospital in Rudraprayag for post-mortem examination and other legal formalities.
Meanwhile, the Health Department remains on alert amid the heavy influx of pilgrims undertaking the Kedarnath Yatra.
Officials said several other pilgrims have fallen ill due to the high altitude and difficult weather conditions, while some have been injured in separate accidents along the route.
Critically ill and injured pilgrims are being airlifted from Kedarnath Dham to Phata and Guptkashi, where advanced medical facilities are available. Those requiring specialised treatment are being shifted to higher medical centres, including AIIMS, through air ambulance services.
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