Uttarakhand: Avalanche strikes Kanchan Ganga area near Badrinath, no loss of life

An avalanche from the Kuber Bhandar peak near Badrinath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district struck the upper catchment area of Kanchan Ganga on Sunday morning, according to officials. The incident, located about two kilometers ahead of the Badrinath shrine, caused no loss of life or property damage, as the snow mass stopped within a valley area and did not reach the main road. Officials classified the event as a natural occurrence common in snow-covered peaks, with no disruption reported on the Badrinath National Highway or to daily life. Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar urged the public to disregard rumors on social media and rely only on official updates, noting that the district administration is continuously monitoring the area. The avalanche’s timing coincides with the ongoing Char Dham Yatra, which began on April 19 and has already attracted over 1.26 million devotees to the four shrines by May 13. Of these, 523,582 visited Kedarnath Temple, 324,081 visited Badrinath Temple, 205,425 visited Gangotri Temple, and 207,390 visited Yamunotri Temple. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami emphasized that pilgrim safety remains the government’s top priority, with strengthened slot management and real-time digital monitoring in place. Despite the avalanche, no disruptions were reported to the pilgrimage, though 38 pilgrims have died due to health-related causes since the yatra began. Official data from the past four years shows a total of 6.945 million pilgrims undertook the Kedarnath Yatra, with 2025 seeing 1,768,795 devotees so far. The incident highlights the region’s vulnerability to natural events during peak pilgrimage seasons, though authorities have maintained vigilance to ensure smooth operations.