A 76-year-old pilgrim from Rajkot, Gujarat, died of a cardiac ailment on Friday while returning from the Adi Kailash pilgrimage, marking the second such death on the route this year. The deceased, identified as Mansukh Giri, was part of an 18-member group that had visited Adi Kailash and Om Parvat and was returning to Dharchula.
Incident Details
Giri complained of chest pain at Nabi village in Byas Valley and was rushed to the nearest health facility in Dharchula, where doctors declared him dead. Pithoragarh district disaster management officer Bhupendra Singh Mahar said the body was handed over to the family after postmortem.
Previous Incident
Referring to an earlier incident, Mahar said, "On May 6, PM Sudhir Nayar from Nagpur, Maharashtra, died while returning to Dharchula after visiting Adi Kailash. He too complained of chest pain and died on reaching the hospital."
Health Advisory
Dr Lal Singh Bora, a Dehradun-based physician, said, "Altitude-related sickness is common in the Adi Kailash region, which is situated at an elevation of around 17,000 feet. Oxygen concentration is low there, and pilgrims should properly acclimatise to local conditions before undertaking the journey."
Yatra Statistics
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said, "The Adi Kailash Yatra began on May 1, and around 27,000 pilgrims have visited the site till May 30."
Authorities have urged pilgrims to undergo health check-ups and acclimatize adequately before embarking on the high-altitude trek to prevent such tragedies.
