Heavy rains wash away part of Badrinath highway, pilgrimage disrupted

A 100-metre stretch of the Gauchar-Badrinath highway at Kamera was washed away on Monday following heavy overnight rainfall, disrupting the pilgrimage to the Himalayan temple.

The route will remain closed for Badrinath pilgrims for two-three days, according to an official statement issued here.

Efforts are underway on war footing to repair and open the route to traffic at the earliest, it said.

A part of a road also caved in at Bhattnagar near Gauchar and five vehicles parked along the roadside got buried in the debris, the state emergency operation centre here said.