Kedarnath landslide: Uttarakhand govt sends fodder for stranded horses and mules

The Uttarakhand government's animal husbandry department on Saturday dispatched helicopters loaded with animal fodder for the mules and horses affected by the landslide in Kedarnath Valley following a cloudburst. The operation to rescue pilgrims trapped along the rain-ravaged trek route to the Himalayan Kedarnath shrine continued into its third day on Saturday. Officials said on Saturday that as many as 8,495 pilgrims stranded had been rescued so far after heavy rains damaged the route on Wednesday night. The rescue operation involves personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the police. On Friday, the Indian Air Force's Chinook and MI17 helicopters airlifted several pilgrims from the area. According to the secretary of the Public Works Department, RK Sudhanshu, the rescue operation for those stranded in Kedarnath and along the Kedarnath route due to the heavy rains on July 31 is being conducted with utmost urgency. Pilgrims were stranded beyond Bhimbali on the Gaurikund-Kedarnath trek route after the swollen Mandakini river washed away a 20-25-metre section. Boulders have blocked the trek route to the Himalayan temples at Ghoraparav, Lincholi, Badi Lincholi and Bhimbali. The Kedarnath yatra has been temporarily halted. The Rudraprayag administration is advising pilgrims to remain where they are until the route is cleared of debris and repaired.