A fresh spate of rain-related incidents has hit Himachal Pradesh after multiple landslides were reported on Friday, further disrupting life in the state, which has been hit hard by torrential rains during the past few months.

After a landslide struck near a prominent school in Shimla on Friday, which forced the administration to order the closure of the institution for two days, another such disaster struck Kangra district.

Tourist destination McLeodganj in the district was cut off following a massive landslide near a church. The landslide in the hill station blocked vehicular traffic, causing difficulty for the commuters.

In Shimla, the landslide occurred in the Himland area near the St. Edwards School, one of the oldest schools here, prompting the administration to order the closure of the institution for two days — Friday and Saturday.

-PTI

New Delhi:

At least three pilgrims, including two from Maharashtra, were killed in a landslide triggered by rains when they were en route to Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath temple today, officials said.

Eight people were also injured in the accident, which occurred on a pathway between Gaurikund and Chirbasa in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district.

The third victim has been identified as a resident of Rudraprayag.

“Devotees were buried under the debris at Chirbasa on the Kedarnath Yatra route. Teams of the State Disaster Response Force and District Disaster Response Force are carrying out rescue operations,” Rudraprayag’s District Magistrate posted on X.

“Efforts to minimise the possibility of injuries and loss of life. The district administration continuously requests travellers to stay in a safe place,” the senior official added.

केदारनाथ यात्रा मार्ग के चीरबासा पर अचानक मलबा आने से दबे यात्री ॥
SDRF, DDRF और YMD रेस्क्यू का कार्य कर रहे है।
घायल और जनहानि की संभावना को कम से कम रखने के प्रयास ॥
जिला प्रशासन लगातार यात्रियों से सुरक्षित जगह रुकने का अनुरोध करता है।#mansoon#chardhamyatra2024pic.twitter.com/51kK0W6mSK

— DM Rudraprayag (@DmRudraprayag) July 21, 2024

Earlier in the day, the Gangotri National Highway near Bishanpur was closed due to a landslide.

#RouteUpdate

गंगोत्री राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग बिशनपुर सैंज के पास मालवा व पत्थर आने के कारण बाधित है।BRO द्वारा मार्ग को सुचारु करने का कार्य किया जा रहा है। पुलिस टीम मौके पर है। pic.twitter.com/9lNynOGowi

— Uttarkashi Police Uttarakhand (@UttarkashiPol) July 21, 2024

Landslides triggered by heavy rains over the past few weeks have left some of Uttarakhand’s key highways blocked.