Rudraprayag: People at the Kedarnath Dham on Wednesday paid tribute to mark the 13th anniversary of the devastating Kedarnath disaster of 2013. Tributes were paid to thousands of devotees, local citizens and security personnel, and to those who lost their lives in the devastating floods of 16 and 17 June 2013. Led by Kedarnath Sabha President Pandit Rajkumar Tiwari, special prayers were held in the Shri Kedarnath temple complex and two minutes of silence were observed. A large number of pilgrims, priests, legal representatives, local businessmen, devotees, and representatives from administrative and security agencies attended the gathering. The police officials and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel deployed at Kedarnath Shrine also attended the condolence meeting. They remembered their martyred comrades and deceased pilgrims who risked their lives during the disaster and engaged in relief and rescue operations.The horrific night of 2013 remains one of the most painful chapters in Uttarakhand's history. Between 15 and 17 June, unprecedented rainfall and the bursting of the Chorabari Lake (Gandhi Sarovar) triggered a massive deluge in the Mandakini Valley, turning the entire Kedar Valley into a scene of utter destruction in the blink of an eye. According to government figures, over 4,400 people were killed or missing in the disaster, and various independent estimates put the death toll at up to 6,000.
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