Massive landslide that struck a few stores in Gaurikund, the beginning site of the Kedarnath trek route, last week has left at least three people dead and 17 people missing. The distance between Gaurikund to the Kedarnath shrine is around 16 km. District disaster management officer (Rudraprayag), NK Rajwar, said, "The landslide, which occurred just past-midnight, had struck two shops and a dhaba near Gaurikund Daat puliya. As many as 20 people were directly affected in the incident.”
Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are searching for the missing persons who are feared to have been either buried under the debris or swept away by the Mandakini river below. Incessant showers along with boulders falling from the upper hills are hampering rescue operations, according to district officials.
SP (Rudraprayag), Vishakha Ashok Bhadane, said, “The rain-triggered landslide brought down boulders and debris that carried with it shops and took away everything along, including those who were inside, straight into the raging Mandakini river.”
Of the total number of people impacted, 17 are reportedly from Nepal and were said to be working seasonal jobs like running stores. According to a statement from the Rudraprayag district emergency operation centre, there were eight to nine people from one family, including four youngsters.
The shops in Gaurikund usually remain open till 12 am but due to the lean season, they shut early at around 10 pm. The families were asleep inside the shops at the time of the incident, locals said, adding "a spell of heavy rainfall started in Gaurikund around 11pm".