246 pilgrims died in Chardham Yatra in 2024

PTI Dehradun: More than 240 pilgrims have died this year due to health-related issues during the Chardham pilgrimage in Uttarakhand, with the fatality rate being the highest among devotees visiting the Himalayan temples by helicopter. The Yatra this year has reached its fag end with Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri already closed for the winter and Badrinath scheduled to close on November 17. High altitude sickness, oxygen deficiency and cardiac arrest are the most common reasons behind the deaths of pilgrims. According to data released by the State Emergency Operation Centre here, a total of 246 deaths have occurred so far during the Chardham yatra this year out of which 65 died in Badrinath, 115 in Kedarnath, 16 in Gangotri and 40 in Yamunotri besides 10 at the Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib.

There has been a slight increase in the number of deaths of pilgrims due to health reasons this year as the figure last year stood at 242, the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) said. Pilgrims die due to health factors every year during the Chardham yatra but the number of such deaths has gone up in recent years. The death rate is the highest among yatris who reach the high altitude temples in helicopters as they directly come into contact with the harsh weather conditions at those heights without going through an acclimatiation process, CEO of Six Sigma Dr Pradeep Bhardwaj said.