Landslides kill 2 BRO personnel, halt yatra to Badrinath

Two BRO personnel were killed as boulders from a hillside fell on their truck after heavy rains at Joshimath in Chamoli district, even as a landslip near Lambagad on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway temporarily halted pilgrimage to the famous Himalayan shrine.
A sudden downpour yesterday sent huge boulders tumbling down from the hillside. Huge boulders fell on the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) truck near Surai Tota on Malari road, killing its driver and helper on the spot, Chamoli's Disaster Management official Nand Kishore Joshi said today.
The deceased have been identified as Vinit Kumar and Mohan Singh.
The heavy rains also triggered a landslide near Lambagad, about 20 km from Badrinath, bringing traffic bound for the Himalayan shrine to a halt.

Vehicles carrying pilgrims have been halted at Joshimath and Badrinath as the road is being cleared by BRO personnel, Joshi said.
A police officer deployed at Badrinath said due to the closure of the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway, more than 300 pilgrims were stranded at Badrinath itself. They will be allowed to proceed towards Joshimath only after the road is cleared of debris, he added.