Around 300 people are currently stuck in the Dharchula and Gunji areas of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district after a landslide washed away a stretch of a crucial road.
The people, including locals and travellers, were trapped in the outskirts of Pithoragarh after the Lipulekh-Tawaghat motor road, 45 km above Dharchula, near Lakhanpur, was washed away 100 meters following a landslide, news agency ANI reported. According to local authorities, it will take two days to restore the road and make it accessible to traffic once again. Rescue operations are underway to ensure the safety of those stranded.
The weather department has predicted unstable weather to continue in Uttarakhand. It issued a dust storm and thundershower alert for several districts including Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Garhwal, Hardwar, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar, and Uttarkashi.
The local police advised pilgrims and tourists to avoid travel unless weather conditions improve. The police also advised the travellers to park vehicles in secure locations. "Pilgrims please stay at safe places, do not travel unnecessarily, and park vehicles at safe places, landslides/geo. Travel only when the weather is clear," the police added.
