Officials in Uttarakhand say that as many as 31 pilgrims and one local resident of Badrinath have died in the last 12 days since the much-awaited Char Dham Yatra began. High blood pressure, heart attack and mountain sickness have been some of the key reasons for their deaths.
Uttarakhand DG Health Dr Shailja Bhatt to ANI, “So far 31 pilgrims and one local resident of Badrinath have died in the 12 days since the commencement of the Char Dham Yatra. All of them died due to high blood pressure, heart attack, and mountain sickness.”
Shailja added that the health screening of the pilgrims was being done at the points created on the travel routes.
She said that now the health screening of the pilgrims is being done at the points created on the travel routes: Uttarakhand DG Health Dr Shailja Bhatt to ANI
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 14, 2022
As part of Char Dhaam Yatra, pilgrims visit Yamunotri and Gangotri in Uttarkashi district, Kedarnath in Rudraprayag and Badrinath in Chamoli.
Shailja said that the number of pilgrims this year has been significantly higher since the yatra did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
According to t an official, more than 70,000 pilgrims have already arrived in the hilly Indian state.
Indian Express reported that 90 people died as around 38 lakh pilgrims took part in 2019. The number of deaths reported in 2017 and 2018 stood at 112 and 102 respectively.