The incident was triggered by the relentless monsoon rains that have been lashing Uttarakhand for the past 48 hours. Eyewitnesses described a terrifying roar echoing through the valley as a chunk of the mountainside gave way, instantly burying the road.

“Our priority right now is the safety of the pilgrims. The mountain is unstable, and the rain is making the situation extremely dangerous,” a senior official from the Rudraprayag district administration told reporters on the ground. “We have stopped the yatra at key checkpoints like Sonprayag and Gaurikund. No one is being allowed to proceed further until the route is cleared and declared safe.”

Rescue operations are in a race against time. Teams from the National and State Disaster Response Force (NDRF and SDRF) are on site, navigating the treacherous terrain to assist those caught between the slide and their destination. So far, officials have confirmed that over 2,000 pilgrims who were stranded have been escorted back to the relative safety of Sonprayag. Many are now huddled in temporary shelters, anxious for news and a path forward.

This year’s Char Dham Yatra has seen an unprecedented, record-breaking number of pilgrims, putting immense pressure on the region’s fragile infrastructure. Today’s landslide is a stark reminder of the challenges posed by the Himalayan geography, especially during the monsoon season. Authorities estimate it will take at least two to three days of continuous work to even begin to clear the debris, a timeline entirely dependent on a break in the severe weather.

Pilgrims who were planning their journey are being urged to postpone their travel indefinitely and stay tuned to official announcements.