91 pilgrims die of health issues in first 5 weeks of Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand

At least 91 pilgrims have died due to health-related reasons in the first five weeks of the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand, with Kedarnath recording the highest fatalities.

A total of 91 pilgrims have died due to health-related reasons in the first five weeks of the ongoing Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand, officials said on Monday.

The pilgrimage season commenced on April 19 with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri temples. The Kedarnath temple opened for devotees on April 22, followed by the Badrinath temple the next day.

According to data compiled by the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Kedarnath recorded the highest fatalities due to health reasons at 44.

Badrinath reported 24 deaths, Yamunotri 13, while Gangotri recorded 10 deaths in the first five weeks of the Yatra.

The deaths were caused by various health reasons, including high altitude-related illness and cardiac arrest, the officials said.

Kedarnath also reported one death due to non-medical reasons, they said.

Meanwhile, the total pilgrim footfall since the commencement of the Yatra crossed 21 lakh on Monday evening.

Kedarnath topped the attendance chart with 8.42 lakh visitors, while more than 5.84 lakh devotees have visited Badrinath.

Yamunotri and Gangotri recorded 3.74 lakh and 3.69 lakh footfalls, respectively.