A total of 183 pilgrims have died since the start of Chardham Yatra in May this year in Uttarakhand, the State Emergency Operations Centre said on Wednesday.
Out of 183 deaths, 177 died due to health related issues and six in natural disasters along the pilgrimage route, the SEOC said.
Chardham Yatra began this year on May 10 with the opening of the Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri temples for pilgrims in the Garhwal Himalayas. The portals of Badrinath opened on May 12.
More than 33 lakh pilgrims have visited the Himalayan temples over a period of more than three months so far.
There has been a sharp drop in the number of pilgrims going to Kedarnath since July 31 due to extensive damage caused by heavy rain to the trek route to the temple.
Though the yatra to Kedarnath through the trek route has remained largely suspended in August, arrival of pilgrims in Kedarnath by helicopters continues. According to the figures issued by the SEOC, natural disasters damaged 86 houses fully, 242 severely and 1,229 partially across the 13 districts of Uttarakhand since June 15.
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