Uttarakhand’s Badrinath Highway Reopens Two Days After Landslide
Around 1,800 people were affected by the landslide in Uttarakhand.
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The Badrinath Highway near Hathi parbat which was shut due to a landslide landslide was reopened on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that no one was stranded in the landslide that occurred near Vishnuprayag on the route towards Badrinath, on Friday.
Several media reports had said that over 15,000 tourists were left stranded in the mishap. However, the CM disputed these figures, saying that only 1,800 tourists were affected by the landslide.
In 2016 too landslides and incessant rains had disrupted the pilgrimage to Badrinath blocking roads and vehicles.
Rescue Operations Underway
Rescue officials arrived at the landslide site to inspect and survey the damage caused. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been working to clear the highways, while assistance is also being provided to the affected tourists, reported ANI.
CM Rawat also tweeted regarding the roads being reopened for public use on Saturday.
Speaking to ANI, the Secretary of the Disaster Management Centre in Uttarakhand said around 200-250 tourists have been evacuated from the site. He added that 1,000-1,500 people are expected to be affected by the landslide.
However, the BRO has been continuously working to open the roads, and the situation in Badrinath is expected to have stabilised.
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