Mussoorie: Two porters from Jammu and Kashmir were killed and three others, including a pilgrim, were injured in a landslide that struck the Kedarnath Dham trek route near Jungle Chatti in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district on Wednesday morning, officials said. Teams from the national disaster response force (NDRF), state disaster response force (SDRF), local police, and district disaster response force (DDRF) launched a coordinated rescue operation (PTI)

“Falling debris from the landslide swept several individuals into a deep gorge at 11.20 am near the Jangalchatti stream (gadhera),” district disaster management officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said.

Teams from the national disaster response force (NDRF), state disaster response force (SDRF), local police, and district disaster response force (DDRF) launched a coordinated rescue operation.

The deceased were identified as Nitin Kumar and Chandrashekhar, both palanquin porters from Jammu and Kashmir.

Among the injured were Sandeep Kumar, a 22-year-old porter from Jammu and Kashmir, who sustained injuries in both legs and his waist; Nitin Manhas, a 16-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir, who fractured his right hand; and Akash Chitariya, a 40-year-old pilgrim from Gujarat, who sustained multiple injuries. All three of them were rescued from the gorge and taken to Gaurikund Hospital for treatment, Rajwar said.

The landslide has raised concern over the safety of the Kedarnath pilgrimage route during the monsoon season. Authorities have urged pilgrims to remain cautious and follow official advisories while trekking, as several parts of Uttarakhand experienced light to moderate rain and thunderstorms on Wednesday, with the India meteorological department (IMD) forecasting heavy downpours in the coming days.

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An orange alert has been issued for June 21, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Bageshwar, Champawat, and Nainital districts, with similar warnings in place for June 22 in Dehradun, Pauri, Champawat, Bageshwar, and Nainital. “Light to moderate rain and thunderstorms are likely to continue across most districts in Uttarakhand from June 19 to 24,” IMD Dehradun director Bikram Singh said.

Light to moderate rainfall was reported across most areas in Chamoli, Bageshwar, Nainital, and Champawat districts, along with parts of Dehradun district, including Mussoorie. Isolated rainfall occurred in other districts of the state.

According to the IMD, Uttarakhand recorded an average rainfall of 7.6 mm over the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Wednesday. Udham Singh Nagar district recorded the highest district-wise average at 20.6 mm, followed by Pithoragarh with 17.2 mm, Nainital with 12.8 mm, Champawat with 7.4 mm, and Uttarkashi with 4.8 mm.

Sitlakhet in Almora district recorded the highest rainfall at 9.5 mm, followed by Lohaghat in Champawat with 9 mm on Wednesday between 12 pm and 3 pm. Other locations such as Almora town (2 mm), Jeolikote in Nainital (1 mm), and parts of Chamoli, Chaubatia-Ranikhet, Karnaprayag, Takula, Gangolihat, and Kichha each received 0.5 mm of rain.

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Thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning, were reported in Dehradun, Mukteshwar, and Chakrata. Gusty winds exceeding 30 km/h were recorded in Chamoli (31 km/h) and Pantnagar (30 km/h). No incidents of hail were reported.

Temperatures have been stable across the state. Maximum temperatures were normal in the plains and ranged from normal to below normal in the hills, while minimum temperatures remained within the normal range statewide. Mohkampur (Dehradun) recorded the day’s highest maximum temperature at 34.7°C, while Mukteshwar (Nainital) recorded the lowest minimum at 13.8°C.