Hailstorm hits Himachal; yatras affected

May 08, 2018 09:58 pm | Updated 09:58 pm IST

 The former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat and many others were stranded in Kedarnath due to bad weather in the region.

The former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat and many others were stranded in Kedarnath due to bad weather in the region.

Incessant snowfall since Monday night in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath and Badrinath, coupled with rains and landslide in Lambagad disrupted pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines for hours on Tuesday, with the authorities preventing devotees from moving beyond Linchauli and Bhimbali.

However, as the weather cleared up towards the evening, the trek route to Kedarnath was opened for the devotees, Rudraprayag District Magistrate Mangesh Ghildiyal said.

Over 4,000 pilgrims safely returned to Gaurikund by the trek route after paying obeisance at Kedarnath despite bad weather, he said, adding that over 400 pilgrims are still stranded at the shrine.

A very heavy hailstorm hit parts of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday leading to a sharp decline in day temperatures.

The storm led to a huge traffic jam in the capital town and suburbs.

( With PTI inputs)

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