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Helicopters evacuate 29 trekkers from Auden’s Col

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 4:31 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Authorities Evacuate Trekkers

Authorities evacuated 29 trekkers from Auden’s Col to Harsil by helicopter on Monday.
District Magistrate Prashant Arya coordinated rescue with Army and Air Force.
State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) supported the operation.
Eleven trekkers rescued from Kalindi Pass base area raise total rescued trekkers to 40.
A helicopter mission targets 19 trekkers at Kalindi Khal; plans exist to evacuate 106 trekkers on ten routes.

Summary

Heavy Rain Halts Pilgrimage

Heavy rain dumped more than 150 mm in Kumaon, blocking numerous roads.
Temperatures in Dehradun fell to 21 °C, about nine degrees below normal.
Over 30 connecting roads in Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Pauri were blocked by debris.
The Char Dham pilgrimage was suspended because of the adverse weather and landslides.
A yellow alert for heavy rain was issued for Dehradun and Uttarkashi, warning of thunderstorms.

History

Historical Context

The June 2013 Uttarakhand floods, caused by unprecedented monsoon rains, killed over 5,700 people and forced the Indian Army, NDRF and Air Force to rescue roughly 110,000 pilgrims in Operation Surya Hope. Those reforms now guide District Magistrate Prashant Arya’s coordination of Army and Air Force helicopters evacuating trekkers from Auden’s Col and Kalindi Khal.

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Authorities Evacuate Trekkers

Authorities evacuated 29 trekkers from Auden’s Col to Harsil by helicopter on Monday.
District Magistrate Prashant Arya coordinated rescue with Army and Air Force.
State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) supported the operation.
Eleven trekkers rescued from Kalindi Pass base area raise total rescued trekkers to 40.
A helicopter mission targets 19 trekkers at Kalindi Khal; plans exist to evacuate 106 trekkers on ten routes.

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