A massive avalanche struck the mountains behind Kedarnath temple on Saturday morning, triggering fears among pilgrims planning to visit the shrine as they were reminded of the 2013 floods in the area. No injuries or damages to the shrine were reported, officials said.
“At around 6.30 am, a huge chunk broke off a glacier between Kedar Dome and Swargarohini and fell near the Chorabari lake located behind the temple. Plumes of snow were seen hanging over the lake for three to four minutes,” Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) chairman Ajendra Ajay said.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand: An avalanche occurred this morning in the Himalayan region but no damage was sustained to the Kedarnath temple: Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee President, Ajendra Ajay pic.twitter.com/fyi2WofTqZ
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) October 1, 2022
Video of the incident showed a massive avalanche behind the shrine. The incident came weeks after an avalanche hit the same Chorabari glacier catchment area on September 22. There was no loss of property or life.
What is an Avalanche?
An avalanche is a mass of snow, rock, ice, and soil that tumbles down a mountain.
The recent avalanches are a reminder to the 2013 Kedarnath flash floods. Unusually heavy rains in Uttarkhand and a massive cloudburst caused the Chorabari glacier to melt and the Mandakini river to overflow, triggering collapse of the banks of the Chorabari lake in Kedarnath and killing thousands.
‘No Need to Panic’
However, Ajay said the recent incident caused by a broken glacier did not lead to a rise in the water levels in Mandakini and Saraswati rivers and there was no need to panic.
As a precautionary measure, the local administration and teams from Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd, BKTC and the State Disaster Response Force are keeping a constant watch on the water levels, Ajay said.
“The incident occurred far away from the temple in the Himalayan region, where such incidents are common. It has had no effect on Kedarpuri, the the township around the temple. Those arriving on the Kedarnath Dham Yatra need not worry,” he added.
How to Protect Yourself
According to the survival guidelines by the National Disaster Management Authority, people are advised to listen to radio, tv, and newspapers for weather updates, stay indoors, suspend all outdoor plans once an official warning is issued, avoid steep slopes and critical areas, keep an evacuation plan ready, during low danger avalanche warning, move on slopes carefully and mark your tracking path using a piece of cloth or stick.
If caught in an avalanche, people are advised to:
- arch hands over face to create an air space
- cover nose and mouth using a scarf helps to avoid suffocation
- if you have found shelter, crouch low into a ball, facing away from the snow slide
- one the avalanche stopes, begin digging out, delay can allow snow to settle
discard all equipment - do not smoke or use a light/matches-this consumes oxygen
- jerk arms towards surface, this can act a marker for rescuers
- seek shelter/protection – rocks or trees for example- and hold tight
- switch off the engine
- try to stay on the surface, you will have three times more chance of survival
- mark the location where team members were last seen
(With inputs from PTI)
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