9 Hours, 7 SDRF Members, 1 Life Trapped Under a Boulder: How A Challenging Rescue Operation Was Carried Out in Kedarnath

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on Thursday carried out a challenging rescue operation in Kedarnath’s Lincholi after heavy rains and landslides left several stranded in Uttarakhand. As hundreds of SDRF personnel braving all odds were evacuating the stranded pilgrims through forests and serpentine trails – crisscrossing heights and slopes – the Lincholi rescue operation remained a talking point.

On the dark Wednesday night, amid heavy rains and landslides, the personnel of SDRF rushed to rescue pilgrims and local shopkeepers at Lincholi – the last halt, en-route to the revered Kedarnath shrine.

As it was dark amidst incessant rains, they decided to wait till the wee hours. The landslide and rockfall had killed one local at Lincholi. The rescue operation restarted at 4:30 AM and during search they heard the cries of a person asking for help.

“We followed the voice and reached out to a person trapped under a huge boulder,” informed an SDRF jawan. It was a race against time, as the cries of the man identified as Girish, a resident of Chamoli district, increased.

Using basic tools such as shovel and hammer, it was a meticulous task to rescue the trapped person safely. Finally, after 9 hours of hard work, Girish was saved and airlifted to a nearby hospital, bringing joy for the team.

A day after rescuing more than 3,000 stranded pilgrims from the Kedarnath valley in Uttarakhand, the SDRF was on Thursday evacuating remaining pilgrims who were either ascending or descending from the Kedarnath shrine and were trapped midway after landslides.

The foot-road connecting Kedarnath from Sonprayag witnessed landslides at multiple locations. On the route, two bridges and some stretch of the road was washed away. Nonetheless, this is the only route to reach the shrine besides helicopter.

“We have deployed drones to look out for any missing pilgrims. The team is working tirelessly, even though the landslides are posing a challenge,” said Manikant Mishra, commandant SDRF.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a telephonic conversation with the home minister Amit Shah. As per Dhami’s office, the home minister assured assistance. The centre has deployed MI -17 and Chinuk Helicopter to airlift pilgrims.