Over 400 pilgrims have been rescued from the Kinnaur Kailash trek in Himachal Pradesh after two makeshift bridges on the trek route were washed away, leaving several tourists stranded. Incidents of cloudbursts and heavy rains were reported in Kinnaur, with a bridge over the Tangling drain being washed away on Wednesday morning. The rescue operations are being led by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) along with the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF).

On Wednesday morning, when Kinnaur District Administration received a distress call about stranded pilgrims on the trek route, they alerted the ITBP, who then deployed a rescue team.

Mountaineering and RRC (Rope Rescue and Climbing) equipment, including essential gear for climbing, traversing glaciers, and performing rescue operations, like mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axes, ropes, harnesses, and crevasse rescue equipment, was sent off.

ITBP shared visuals from rescue operations on social media X (formerly Twitter). Pilgrims can be seen ziplining and being moved to a safer location. ITBP used the rope rescue traverse crossing technique, as seen in one of the videos.

Himachal Pradesh Rain Fury: Flash Floods, Landslides, Cloudburst

Himachal Pradesh has 194 deaths and a cumulative loss of over Rs 1.85 lakh (1,85,251.98 lakh) during the monsoon season, between June 20 and August 5 this year, according to a report by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

According to the report, “Cumulative Statement Showing Damage During Monsoon Season-2025,” 108 deaths are directly related to rain-triggered incidents like flash floods, landslides and cloudburst. The total loss to private property is estimated at Rs 97,129.91 lakh, while public property damage is at Rs 63,341.15 lakh.

Another report by the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) indicates that 446 roads, 360 Distribution Transformers (DTRs), and 257 water supply schemes are currently disrupted. Three national highways – NH-305, NH-003, and NH-05 – are also blocked.