SHIMLA– In a large-scale rescue operation, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) evacuated 413 stranded pilgrims from the Kinnaur Kailash trek in Himachal Pradesh after torrential rains and cloudbursts destroyed two makeshift bridges along the route.
The heavy downpour early Wednesday triggered multiple cloudbursts, sweeping away a bridge over the Tangling drain and leaving hundreds trapped on the remote mountain trail.
A team from the ITBP’s 17th Battalion, working with an NDRF contingent, used a rope-based traverse crossing method to bring all stranded pilgrims to safety. “The rescue operation was led by one Gazetted Officer, four Subordinate Officers, and 29 Other Ranks of ITBP, in coordination with a 14-member NDRF team,” the ITBP said in a statement.
Following a distress call from the Kinnaur District Administration about additional people being stranded, rescue teams were remobilized, and operations remain ongoing.
The ITBP deployed specialized mountaineering and Rope Rescue and Climbing (RRC) equipment, including high-altitude boots, ice axes, ropes, crampons, harnesses, and crevasse rescue gear, to navigate the challenging terrain.
Dramatic footage shared on X showed pilgrims ziplining across swollen streams via rope traverse and being escorted to safer ground by rescue personnel.
Officials said the ITBP is working closely with local authorities and other agencies to provide all necessary assistance.
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh continues to suffer from the destructive monsoon season. According to the State Disaster Management Authority, the state has recorded 194 deaths and sustained an estimated ₹1.85 lakh crore in damages from June 20 to August 5 due to heavy rains, landslides, and related disasters. (Source: IANS)
