Over 10 000 pilgrims rescued after landslides disrupt Kedarnath route, India
Over 10 000 pilgrims were rescued after multiple landslides disrupted the Kedarnath pilgrimage route in Uttarakhand late on May 19, 2026, temporarily blocking movement between Sonprayag and Gaurikund.
Evacuation of pilgrims between Sonprayag and Gaurikund on the Shri Kedarnath Yatra route - May 19, 2026. Credit: SDRF
More than 10 000 pilgrims were reportedly rescued, evacuated, or assisted after multiple landslides disrupted the Kedarnath pilgrimage route between Sonprayag and Gaurikund in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, late on May 19, triggering an overnight operation by India’s State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
According to ANI-based media reports citing SDRF, emergency teams were alerted after landslides disrupted movement along the route.
The District Control Room, Rudraprayag, informed SDRF at about 21:16 LT on May 19, prompting deployment of an SDRF and NDRF teams from Sonprayag, led by Sub-Inspector Ashish Dimri, with rescue equipment.
According to the latest reports, heavy rain triggered landslides at three points on the Sonprayag-Gaurikund stretch, including the Munkatiya area, disrupting movement and leaving pilgrims stranded on parts of the route. Emergency responders moved stranded pilgrims to safer locations while debris-clearing operations continued overnight.
#WATCH | Sonprayag, Rudraprayag: SDRF Uttarakhand safely evacuates over 10,000 pilgrims amid landslide.
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2026
Late at night in May, a sudden landslide struck the Munkatiya area between Sonprayag and Gaurikund on the Shri Kedarnath Yatra route, blocking the main road. Due to the… pic.twitter.com/0p0moC9InU
The Sonprayag-Gaurikund corridor experiences recurrent landslide disruptions during pilgrimage periods because of steep Himalayan terrain, unstable slopes, and weather-related erosion. A previous landslide near the Munkatiya Sliding Zone, about 1.5 km (0.9 miles) from Gaurikund, disrupted the route in 2025 and required SDRF-NDRF rescue operations.
References:
1 Landslide blocks Kedarnath Yatra route, over 10,000 pilgrims rescued overnight by SDRF-NDRF – The Times of India – May 20, 2026
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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