In a major rescue operation, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), in coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), evacuated 413 stranded pilgrims from the Kinnaur Kailash trek route in Himachal Pradesh after two makeshift bridges on the trail were washed away following torrential rains and cloudbursts.
Heavy rainfall in the region triggered multiple cloudbursts and caused a bridge over the Tangling drain to collapse on Wednesday morning, leaving scores of tourists and devotees stranded on the remote high-altitude trail.
Responding swiftly, a team from ITBP’s 17th Battalion executed the evacuation using a rope-based traverse crossing technique, successfully moving all 413 individuals to safer locations.
“The rescue operation is being carried out 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 an official statement.
After receiving a distress call from the Kinnaur District Administration about additional people being stranded, ITBP and NDRF teams were immediately remobilised. Rescue efforts remain ongoing, officials confirmed.
To aid the mission, ITBP deployed specialised mountaineering and Rope Rescue and Climbing (RRC) equipment, including high-altitude gear such as mountaineering boots, ice axes, ropes, crampons, harnesses, and crevasse rescue tools for navigating the treacherous terrain.
Visuals shared by ITBP on X captured dramatic scenes of the operation, with pilgrims ziplining across gushing streams using rope traverses and being safely escorted to secure areas. The footage also showed officers coordinating efforts in extremely challenging conditions.
ITBP affirmed its continued assistance in close coordination with local authorities and other supporting agencies.
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh remains under the grip of severe monsoon havoc. According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), the state has reported cumulative losses of ₹1.85 lakh crore along with human casualties between June 20 and August 5 this year due to incessant rains, landslides, and related disasters.
(IANS)