Uttarakhand: Helicopter operations begin to evacuate stranded pilgrims from Gangotri Dham after Uttarkashi cloudburst

Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India], August 7(ANI): As rescue efforts gain momentum in the cloudburst-hit region of Uttarkashi district, authorities have prioritised the safe evacuation of stranded pilgrims from the Gangotri Dham. Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey on Thursday said that helicopter sorties have begun from Harsil, with multiple evacuees airlifted from the affected area.
Speaking to ANI, Pandey said, "Our heli operations have begun. Our priority is to evacuate pilgrims from the Gangotri Dham. Two sorties with 9-10 evacuees have taken off from Harsil, and operations will continue throughout the day. An IAF Chinook will soon take off from Jolly Grant Airport, with NDRF personnel and essential materials, which will be taken to Harsil."
"The District Magistrate and SSP have established their offices in the field. Technical experts of all essential services have arrived. Currently, our search and rescue operation is in full swing, and we hope that within one or two days, the situation will come back to normal. The road from Uttarkashi to Harsil is extensively damaged, and it will take some time to rebuild. The CM is also camping in Uttarkashi and supervising all operations," he added.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami interacted with the rescue team in Uttarkashi before it departed to carry out operations in areas severely affected by the recent cloudburst and heavy rainfall.
The Uttarakhand CM met the personnel deployed for relief and rescue efforts, and encouraged the members of the rescue team.
Meanwhile, Several stranded individuals have already been airlifted to safety. Those rescued from mudslide-hit zones near Uttarkashi were taken to the Matli helipad.
Speaking to ANI, Arohi Mehra, a pilgrim from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, said, "I was very scared when all of this happened. The villagers helped us a lot. We got a lot of strength when we saw our jawans of the Indian Army."
Another rescued pilgrim, Rupesh Mehra, also from Jalgaon, added, "Roads have been blocked there. We were rescued with helicopters. We got a lot of help from all the agencies deployed there, and we were taken out from there."
On Wednesday, around 190 people were rescued from Dharali following a devastating cloudburst that triggered massive flash floods and landslides in the area, with the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), along with ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, BRO, and local volunteers engaged in a joint rescue and relief operation to search for the missing.
The rescue and relief operations in the affected areas are in full swing. (ANI)