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Three elderly people die of heart attack at Kedarnath in past 60 hours

DEHRADUN: In the past 60 hours, three elderly persons, including two women, died at Kedarnath due to heart attack. With this the total death at Kedarnath yatra this season has gone up to 53 and the number has touched 91 in all four dhams this year, according to government records.


With 22 deaths in Uttarkashi (six in Gangotri and 16 in Yamunotri ), 53 in Kedarnath, 16 in Badrinath and two in Hemkund Sahib, the total health-related deaths in Char Dham Yatra has reached 91 till October 19, 2019.

In 2018, 65 people died due to health reasons in the six-month-long Char Dham Yatra. According to information provided by the health department of Rudraprayag district, Charu Banerjee from West Bengal lost his life due to a suspected heart attack. The 65-year-old was visiting Kedarnath with a group of 20 others. “Netravati Narak who was 69-year-old and was visiting Kedarnath shrine from Karnataka suffered chest pain near Guptakashi. She died before reaching the hospital. Another 66-year-old Rajan Kumar from Maharashtra died due to illness near Gaurikund. He was brought dead by the doctors at Sonprayag,” said Dr S K Jha, Rudraprayag CMO.

Dr Ashutosh Sayana, principal Government Doon Medical College, said that the main issue of health related causalities in Char Dham Yatra is that most of the pilgrims are ignoring their health problems and physical capabilities for the sake of their devotion towards the Himalayan shrines. “Their casual approach is turning fatal for them. Pilgrims should get their health thoroughly examined before starting the yatra,” he said.

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