Rudraprayag: For the past two years, the month of June has been proving to be a month of wounds for Rudraprayag district. For the second consecutive year, a tempo-traveller has met with an accident in the district in June and this time the number of casualties is expected to increase further. In the first twelve days of this month, a total of 13 people have died in different accidents in the district, including seven people who died in the recent helicopter crash accident.
The month of June is usually known for summer vacations and Chardham Yatra, when people travel to meet their loved ones and visit holy shrines. However, for Rudraprayag, this month has become synonymous with sorrows for the past two years.
Many incidents took place during the Kedarnath Yatra in June this year
On June 7, an emergency landing of a helicopter of Crystal Heli Company took place in Badasu of Kedarghati, in which the lives of six people including the pilot were narrowly saved. On the morning of 15th June, while coming from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, the helicopter of Aryan Heli Company crashed in Gauri Mai Khark. In this accident, seven people including an innocent girl lost their lives and the dead had to be identified by their personal belongings like rings, bracelets, chains or watches.
The wounds of these accidents were still fresh when on Thursday, a tempo-traveller full of passengers crashed on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway. All the people in this vehicle belonged to the same family and had come for the first time on the Char Dham Yatra. Their happiness turned into screams even before the journey was over.
The vehicle has sunk into the Alaknanda river and no trace of it is being found. The death of three people has been confirmed in this accident, while nine people are missing after being swept away by the strong current of the river. Apart from this, a bank employee died a painful death in another vehicle accident at a short distance from the district headquarters.
Last year also, on 15th June, a tempo-traveller crashed into a river at Rantoli near the district headquarters. This vehicle was going from Delhi to Chopta-Tungnath. In that accident, 10 people died on the spot, while five died in AIIMS.
These continuous accidents are making June a black month for Rudraprayag, which raises serious questions on travel safety and the need for more caution on hilly routes.
