Char Dham Yatra: Nearly 70 Pilgrims Have Died Due To Altitude Sickness; 38 Deaths In Kedarnath

An unusually high number of deaths have been reported during the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand which was thrown open to pilgrims after a gap of two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In just around 20 days, beginning May 3, when this year¡¯s yatra started, 69 deaths have been reported, according to government figures.

An official has given high blood pressure, heart attack, and mountain sickness as the main reasons for the death of the pilgrims.

Kedarnath sees the highest number of deaths

Four more pilgrims died in Kedarnath on Wednesday while three others were flown to AIIMS-Rishikesh in an air ambulance for treatment after they were taken ill. Rudraprayag¡¯s Chief Medical Officer B K Shukla said 38 pilgrims on way to Kedarnath since its opening on May 6 have died because of cardiac and other health problems.

BCCL

The pilgrimage, which was resumed fully this year after two years of the pandemic, has seen a record rush of pilgrims. As per the latest figures, about 9 lakh people had undertaken the yatra in the first 20 days. The maximum number of deaths ¨C 38 ¨C have been reported from Kedarnath, followed by Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Gangotri.

Pilgrims to Kedarnath who died on Wednesday were identified as Rishi Bhadauriya, 65, from Gwalior, Shambhu Dayal Yadav, 66, from Guna in Madhya Pradesh, Kamalnath Bhatt, 60, from Uttar Pradesh, and Changdev Janardan Shinde from Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, three pilgrims including two women were airlifted to AIIMS-Rishikesh for treatment after they complained of breathlessness. They have been identified as Munni Devi, 49, from Bhind in Madhya Pradesh, 60-year-old Savitri Devi from Guna, and 65-year-old Tara Chand from Nagpur in Maharashtra.

In 2019, around 38 lakh pilgrims undertook the yatra and over 90 pilgrims died. In 2017 and 2018, 112 and 102 pilgrims died, respectively.

This year, rains and unseasonal snowfall too have added to the problems for the authorities and pilgrims alike. The Kedarnath Yatra has already been closed two times in these 20 days due to inclement weather.

High-altitude creating health problems after COVID

Most of the deaths have been linked to high-altitude issues and post-COVID health.

File Photo

The four pilgrimage sites on the Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand are situated at high altitudes in the Himalayas. The circuit consists of Yamunotri and Gangotri in Uttarkashi district, Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district, and Badrinath in Chamoli district.

The Shiva temple at Kedarnath is situated at an altitude of around 11,700 feet above sea level, Badrinath (Vishnu temple), and Yamunotri (from where the Yamuna originates) at around 10,800 feet, and Gangotri (origin of the Ganges) at the lowest point, around 10,200 feet.

While All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Rishikesh, along with an NGO has set up medical camps at all the four shrines, the rush of pilgrims is so high that it is impeding timely treatment of patients.

The rough terrain makes it difficult for health services to reach the needy pilgrims on time.

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