Uttarakhand bus accident toll rises to 6, body of pilgrim found 150 km away

Mon Jun 30 02:06:04 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten news article:

**Summary:**

A bus carrying pilgrims plunged into the Alaknanda River in Uttarakhand, India, resulting in six confirmed deaths and six people still missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. Simultaneously, a landslide triggered by a cloudburst in Uttarkashi district led to the death of two workers and left seven missing. Due to heavy rainfall and landslide risks, the Chardham Yatra pilgrimage has been temporarily suspended.

**News Article:**

**Pilgrim Bus Plunge and Landslide Devastate Uttarakhand, Death Toll Rises**

**Rudraprayag/Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand – June 30, 2025** – Tragedy struck Uttarakhand this weekend as a bus carrying pilgrims fell into the Alaknanda River near Gholtir village, Rudraprayag, claiming the lives of at least six people. Six remain missing as search and rescue operations continue. The 31-seater bus was carrying pilgrims from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh to the holy site of Badrinath.

“The body of Lalit Kumar Soni, 48, from Rajasthan, was recovered 150km downstream in Haridwar yesterday, bringing the confirmed death toll to six,” officials stated. Eyewitnesses reported that some passengers managed to escape before the bus plunged into the river.

Adding to the region’s woes, a landslide triggered by a cloudburst hit a campsite at an under-construction hotel along the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district early Sunday morning. Two workers were killed and seven remain missing. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), SDRF, and local police are conducting search and rescue efforts at the site.

District Magistrate Prashant Arya stated that operations are underway “on a war footing” to locate the missing.

In light of the incidents and ongoing heavy rainfall across the state, authorities have temporarily suspended the Chardham Yatra, a major pilgrimage to four Hindu shrines. Pilgrims are advised to monitor weather updates and travel advisories before resuming their journey.

Read More