Shimla: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued 413 pilgrims from the Kinnaur Kailash trek in Himachal Pradesh after two makeshift bridges on the route were washed away, leaving them stranded. The rescuers rigged ziplines to help the pilgrims cross the water bodies that have turned into raging torrents due to incessant rainfall.
A bridge over the Tangling drain in Kinnaur was washed away on Wednesday morning due to cloudbursts and heavy rainfall. After the Kinnaur District Administration received a distress call about the stranded pilgrims on the trek route, they alerted the ITBP, and a rescue team was deployed.
“Mountaineering and RRC (Rope Rescue and Climbing) equipment, including essential gear for climbing, traversing glaciers, and performing rescue operations, like mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axes, ropes, harnesses, and crevasse rescue equipment, was sent off to the site and rescue operations started as soon as the line was rigged,” an official said.
The ITBP shared visuals from rescue operations on X. Videos show pilgrims ziplining and being moved to a safer location. The rescue teams used the rope rescue traverse crossing technique.
Himachal Pradesh has recorded 194 deaths and a cumulative loss of over Rs 1,852 crore (1,85,251.98 lakh) between June 20 and August 5 this year, according to a report by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
According to the report, “Cumulative Statement Showing Damage During Monsoon Season-2025,” 108 deaths are directly related to rain-triggered incidents like flash floods, landslides and cloudburst. The total loss to private property is estimated at Rs 97,129.91 lakh, while public property damage is pegged at Rs 63,341.15 lakh.
Another report by the Himachal Pradesh SDMA indicates that 446 roads, 360 Distribution Transformers (DTRs), and 257 water supply schemes are currently disrupted. Three national highways – NH-305, NH-003, and NH-05 – are also blocked.