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Viral Plea Rescues 14 Gujarat Pilgrims Stranded in Kedarnath Landslides
M
Moneycontrol•29-09-2026, 11:05
Viral Plea Rescues 14 Gujarat Pilgrims Stranded in Kedarnath Landslides
- •A Surat woman's emotional video plea went viral, leading to the rescue of 14 Gujarat pilgrims stranded in Kedarnath due to heavy rainfall and landslides.
- •Ranjanben Panchal and her family were part of a group on a 12-day pilgrimage when worsening weather cut off their trekking route near the shrine.
- •Panchal recorded a tearful video appealing to the Gujarat government for assistance, highlighting the difficult conditions faced by stranded devotees.
- •After the video gained traction, authorities deployed a helicopter to airlift the pilgrims safely back to the base camp.
- •The incident underscores the challenges pilgrims face in the Himalayan region during extreme weather, where rainfall and landslides can disrupt travel.
Key Questions Answered
The 14 pilgrims from Gujarat were rescued after an emotional video posted by Surat resident Ranjanben Panchal went viral on social media. Following the appeal, authorities deployed a helicopter on Monday to airlift the stranded group safely back to the base camp area.
The pilgrims became stranded due to continuous heavy rainfall that triggered landslides along the trekking route near the Kedarnath shrine, damaging access paths and cutting off their return route.
After being safely airlifted back to the base camp area, Ranjanben Panchal and her relatives retrieved their belongings from their hotel and resumed their pilgrimage, continuing their journey towards Badrinath as originally planned.
