Massive Avalanche Hits Gandhi Sarovar near Kedarnath Dham, No Casualties Reported

GG News Bureau
Rudraprayag, 1st July. A massive avalanche struck Gandhi Sarovar, situated four kilometres above Kedarnath Dham, early Sunday morning, officials confirmed. Fortunately, there were no casualties or damage to property, according to a district official.

Devotees visiting the temple in the morning captured the avalanche on their mobile phones, which occurred around 5 am near the Chorabari glacier. The ongoing Char Dham Yatra has attracted a significant number of devotees to the region, including those visiting Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath shrines in Uttarakhand.

Eyewitnesses described a massive cloud of snow descending rapidly from the mountain, eventually halting after falling into a deep ravine. The avalanche originated in the upper region of the Gandhi Sarovar at the Chorabari glacier, beneath the snow-clad Meru-Sumeru mountain range, located at the upper end of the Kedarnath valley.

Nandan Singh Rajwar, the District Disaster Management Officer for Rudraprayag, reassured that there were no casualties or property damage due to the avalanche. “The entire area, including the Kedarnath valley, remains safe,” Rajwar affirmed.

Gopal Singh Rauthan, an employee of the Garhwal Mandal Development Corporation who was present at the temple during the incident, reported that devotees were captivated by the natural phenomenon for about five minutes. Another avalanche had occurred in the Chorabari glacier on June 8.

In 2022, three avalanches struck the area between September and October, followed by five incidents in May and June 2023. In response, scientists from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing and the Wadia Institute conducted terrestrial and aerial surveys, describing these occurrences as “normal” for the Himalayan region. They emphasized the importance of enhancing security measures in the Kedarnath Dham area.