New Delhi: Traffic on the Kotdwar-Pauri highway came to a sudden halt when debris from a hill fell onto the road, trapping numerous vehicles. The incident occurred about four kilometers above Siddhbali, between Kotdwar and Dugadda. A-Max vehicle was severely damaged by the falling debris, injuring four people and leaving one person missing. Heavy rains on Saturday afternoon caused significant disruptions on the national highway from Kotdwar to Dugadda, blocking it due to a hill crack. Vehicles queued up on both sides of the highway as the rain continued to cause havoc. Reports indicated that a Max vehicle was buried under the debris, adding to the chaos.In Kotdwar Bhabar and surrounding mountainous areas, rivers such as Khoh, Sukhro, and Malan overflowed due to the heavy downpour. In the Lansdowne Forest Division, the rains caused the Sigddisot and Mehli Sot rivers to damage the Chilarkhal-Laldhang road, creating potholes in several places.Complete halt in vehicle movementThe movement of vehicles came to a complete standstill. The bus services of GMOU, which usually go to Haridwar via Laladhang, were diverted through Najibabad and the canal route in UP. The road closure caused several villages in the Laladhang area to lose direct road connectivity with Kotdwar.Watch the video here:उत्तराखंड : कोटद्वार में सिद्धबली से 4 KM ऊपर कल पहाड़ से गिरे मलबे में मैक्स वाहन दबा। 1 की मौत हुई, 4 यात्री घायल हुए। सड़क पर मलबा आने से कोटद्वार-पौड़ी हाईवे भी प्रभावित हुआ। pic.twitter.com/XFjIJF4s2y— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) June 30, 2024Heavy rainfall in hilly regionFrom Saturday morning till afternoon, the Kotdwar hills experienced heavy rainfall, leading to the overflowing of all rivers in the area. The Laldhang road, connecting Kotdwar to Haridwar within the state border, suffered damage in multiple places. GMOU President Jeet Singh Patwal confirmed that due to the road closure, buses were now being rerouted through the canal route of UP.Monsoon season delays road repairsThe forest department announced that the road would remain closed to traffic until the monsoon season ends, citing the dangers of traveling on this route during the monsoon. This closure has inconvenienced villagers from Kotdwar Bhabar to Laladhang, forcing them to travel 11 kilometers on foot for essential tasks. Students from Laladhang attending higher education institutions in Kanvaghati Mahavidyalaya and the Polytechnic of Bhabar, as well as hundreds of workers commuting to the Jashodharpur and Sigaddi Industrial Areas of SIDCUL, are particularly affected.Avalanche hits Kedarnath In a related incident, a massive avalanche hit the Gandhi Sarovar, located four kilometers above Kedarnath Dham, early on the morning of June 30. The avalanche, originating near the Chorabari glacier, fell into a valley, causing no loss of life or property. Devotees visiting the Kedarnath temple witnessed and recorded the natural phenomenon on their mobile phones around 5 AM.Watch the video here:केदारनाथ में गांधी सरोवर के ऊपर से आया एवलान्च, आज सुबह सबेरे सरोवर के ऊपर से एवलांच आया, किसी तरह के जानमाल का नुकसान नही। #kedarnath #Avalanche pic.twitter.com/PhGOvVw5gP— Ajit Singh Rathi (@AjitSinghRathi) June 30, 2024A huge cloud of snow slid down rapidly, stopping after falling into a deep ravine. The avalanche occurred in the upper region of Gandhi Sarovar, beneath the snow-covered Meru-Sumeru mountain range at the upper end of Kedarnath Valley.
