“Massive Rescue Operation Saves Stranded Devotees near Madmaheshwar Temple Amid Bridge Collapse”
DEHRADUN: In a remarkable feat, the state government orchestrated a daring rescue operation that liberated hundreds of individuals ensnared for over forty-eight hours near the revered Madmaheshwar temple, nestled within Rudraprayag district.
The stranded souls, primarily steadfast pilgrims, found themselves marooned when a vital bridge connecting the temple to the district’s heart succumbed to the ferocity of torrential downpours. Perched at a breathtaking altitude of 3,500 meters, the Madmaheshwar temple stands as one of the cherished Panch Kedars—five sanctified shrines honoring Lord Shiva in the majestic Garhwal Himalayas.
With dawn on Monday, the bridge linking Ransi and Gondar villages spanning the Morkanda river crumbled at 6:45 a.m., leaving nearly 300 devotees trapped on the bridge’s wrong side. Narrating the ordeal, NK Rajwar, the indomitable disaster management officer of Rudraprayag, disclosed, “Airlifting around 190 resilient souls to Ransi village, the gateway for the Madmaheshwar trek, was the initial phase.”
Executing precision landings on an improvised helipad in Nanu, helicopters conducted a staggering 36 sorties, ferrying the pilgrims to safety. In a parallel endeavor, the last twenty-four hours witnessed a heroic endeavor—a combined initiative by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local champions—which brought over a hundred souls back from the brink, utilizing labyrinthine land routes,” Rajwar continued.
Delving into the mechanics, he elucidated, “These survivors gallantly crossed the surging river, swollen by relentless nocturnal deluges in the hinterlands since Sunday—a true testament to human endurance and nature’s unpredictable whims.”