KOLLAM, June 27, 2013: As rescue operations continue at flood-hit Uttarakhand, latest reports about 12 Malayali pilgrims, including a 67-year-old woman, who had been stranded at Rudraprayag, said they were reportedly being transferred to a safe location. 

The pilgrims had gone to Kedarnath and got stuck at Rudraprayag while returning home. 

Speaking to TOI over the phone, Karthik Raju, one of the pilgrims, said the group had to walk over 20km through thick forest in heavy rain to reach a safe place. 

"Fortunately, we did not stay in the lodge at Gaurikund, instead climbed a hill to safety. Nearly 500 people are still stranded in the jungle around Rudraprauyag area. The roads have been cleared though," said Karthik. 

The pilgrims are Sudhavan Kandath (42) of Palakkad, Karith Raju (31) and Lekshmanan (45) of Kollam, Sasikala (67), Manivarnan (42), Suresh Koliyot (68), Sreyas (36), Suleksh (40), Parameswaran (36), Vasudevan (43), Satheeshan (41) and Vamanan (45), all from Kozhikode. 

Karthik said that since the roads have been cleared, vehicles have started arriving to pick up the stranded pilgrims. 

A week ago, the lodge where the pilgrims had put up had collapsed in the raging floods. 

Chief minister Oommen Chandy had told media that steps have been taken to bring home all the stranded Keralites at Uthrakhand.

Source: The Times of India, DT. June 27, 2013.