WATCH | People Risk Lives As They Travel on Blocked Landslide-hit Highway in Uttarakhand – News18

As heavy rains in north India have caused massive destruction, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday reiterated his request to people to avoid unnecessary travel in view of incessant rains in the state. However, some people were seen endangering their lives by travelling on debris-filled and landslides-prone roads. One such incident was witnessed on the Gangotri National Highway in Uttarakhand when people were caught risking their lives by crossing the damaged road.

“Our government has issued disaster relief numbers to help the people of Uttarakhand who are stranded in different places of the state and in Himachal Pradesh,” Dhami said in a tweet.

In a video shared by news agency ANI, people can be seen attempting to go through the highway with sheer difficulty. The video went viral merely two days after a boulder hit three vehicles on the highway leaving four pilgrims dead and six others injured.

Meanwhile, three people drowned in Khoh River Pauri district as rains continued to lash parts of the state, officials said. The incident happened on Tuesday night when a car lost control and fell into the river in Kotdwar area of the district. While three car occupants drowned in the river, two others came out of the vehicle on time, police said.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) recovered the body of one of the victims — Muhammad Israr (35), a resident of Kiratpur area in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district, they said. Many routes in the state, including national highways, have been closed due to landslides following incessant rains, affecting normal life as well as the Chardham Yatra.

As of Tuesday, nine pilgrims were killed and 13 were injured due to landslides and boulders falling on the roads. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted continuation of heavy rains for the state on both Tuesday and Wednesday, giving officials a way to take sufficient precautions.

Another rock fell near Dharasu on the Gangotri Highway, severely affecting its traffic and also making it difficult for the pilgrims to reach the Dhams. A video shared by ANI shows the same.

In another such incident triggered by waterlogging, passengers were seen jumping out of a bus and climbing to its roof when it began tilting sideways. The incident took place in Ramgarh district.

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Another unfortunate incident took place on the Rudraprayag-Gaurikung National Highway, when a 34-year-old pilgrim was hit by a falling boulder while he was riding his motorcycle in Byungad. His twin brother also suffered injuries in the incident.

In view of such incidents, Dhami has said that his government was taking regular updates on the condition of roads and intensity of the rains from all districts.

(with inputs from PTI)