Uttarakhand: Avalanche occurs near Badrinath, no casualties

An avalanche occurred on Friday from the Kuber Bhandar glacier near Badrinath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, reaching the upper reaches of the Kanchenjunga river. No casualties were reported, an official said.

District Disaster Management Officer Nand Kishore Joshi said that the avalanche ended several hundred metres above the Badrinath National Highway, adding that this is a ''common natural phenomenon'' in the area.

Locals reported that a section of the Kuber Bhandar glacier came down with a loud noise. They said that the sound and the sight of the glacier flowing thrilled the devotees present there.

Pitambar Singh Molfa, former head of Mana village, said that avalanches from the snow-capped peaks of the upper Himalayas are common.

He further stated that incidents of glacier melting and breaking off occur frequently on the right and left sides of the Kanchenjunga, and pilgrims also witness them.