Kinner Kailash yatra called off due to bad weather

The annual Kinner Kailash pilgrimage has been called off by the Kinnaur district administration in Himachal Pradesh due to adverse weather conditions and flash flood incidents, an official said today.

The district administration had suspended the yatra yesterday after a pilgrim died near the cave due to hypothermia and 100 were stranded in flash floods.

No pilgrim would be allowed to undertake the pilgrimage, Officiating Deputy Commissioner of Kinnaur Major Avninder Kumar said.

Meanwhile, the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) personnel were clearing the Ribba National Highway-5 as the road had been closed due to landslides and flash floods yesterday afternoon, officials said.

The road would be restored for normal traffic by this evening, they said.

Landslides occurred at three places in Thangi, Bawa Nagar and Ribba yesterday after flash floods, they said, adding three bridges on the Link Road in Bawa Nagar were also washed away.

The 10-day pilgrimage was earlier suspended on July 29 as two pilgrims were washed away and 276 were stranded.

Several hundred pilgrims from different states come to Kinner Kailash to pay their obeisance every year.