Overview
- A landslide struck the Munkatiya stretch between Sonprayag and Gaurikund late on Tuesday night, May 19, blocking the highway and leaving thousands of pilgrims stranded.
- The Rudraprayag district control room alerted rescue forces at about 9:16 pm, and SDRF teams from Sonprayag with NDRF support conducted an overnight operation that evacuated roughly 10,450 pilgrims to designated safe locations.
- Rescuers worked in darkness under heavy rain and ongoing rockfalls while guiding families, elderly pilgrims and children across the damaged section of the route.
- After the evacuation, authorities deployed JCB excavators to remove debris, cleared the carriageway and restored vehicular movement the following day.
- The incident highlights the recurring risk of rain‑triggered slope failures on the Kedarnath pilgrimage corridor and reinforces the value of advance deployment and continuous monitoring as officials keep the route on high alert.