The Badrinath national highway was reopened for traffic on Friday morning after it was blocked for more than 17 hours due to a landslide triggered by heavy rain in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. Hundreds of pilgrims had to spend the night in their vehicles because the national highway was blocked. The road was blocked around 10 am on Thursday and was reopened at 3.30 am on Friday, the additional information officer of Chamoli, Ravindra Negi said, as per news agency PTI.
Vehicles returning from Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib were cleared first, he said further informing that the local administration had made arrangements for the stranded pilgrims to stay in Birhi, Chamoli, and Pipalkoti and they were also provided food.
The landslide occurred around 9:50 am near Chhinka, affecting a 100-metre stretch of the highway, leaving over 10,000 pilgrims stranded for hours, according to officials.
The stranded pilgrims included those who were on their way to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib.
A 100-metre stretch of the highway was affected by the landslide, leading to a huge traffic jam. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the highway, PTI reported officials as saying.
The stranded pilgrims had to wait in Gauchar, Karnaprayag, Nandprayag, and Chamoli, and the passenger vehicles in Badrinath, Joshimath, and Pipalkoti for the route to be restored, an official release informed. Though the pilgrims are stranded, they are secure, it said.
Many pilgrims are also stranded at the spot where the landslide occurred. They are being provided food and water by the district administration, an official said, as per PTI.
Water tankers were also stationed at the spot to supply drinking water to the stranded pilgrims.
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