Mussoorie, July 18 -- The Kedarnath Yatra resumed for pilgrims on Friday afternoon after remaining suspended for more than five hours following a rain-triggered landslide and boulder fall near the Chirbasa helipad that completely blocked the trekking route in Rudraprayag district. However, mule and horse services remained suspended due to safety concerns and are expected to resume only after the route is fully restored. The incident occurred at around 6.30 am after continuous overnight rainfall loosened the slopes, sending massive boulders crashing onto the pedestrian trail leading to Kedarnath. Teams from the Public Works Department (PWD) rushed to the site and began clearance operations immediately. The trekking route was reopened for pilgrims on foot at around 1pm after debris and boulders were cleared. Sunil Singh Rawat, executive engineer, PWD, Guptkashi, said, "The Kedarnath Yatra was halted after boulders fell on the pedestrian route, blocking it completely at around 6.30 am on Friday. PWD personnel deployed at the site managed to reopen the route for pedestrian pilgrims at around 1 pm." He said mule and horse operations remain suspended because of uneven terrain and safety risks. "We expect the route to be completely restored by Saturday,"he added. In a separate incident, heavy boulders fell near Gaurikund on the Kedarnath route early on Friday, prompting authorities to temporarily halt pilgrim movement as a precaution. Prerna Jaguri, executive engineer, National Highways PWD division, said the boulders were removed promptly using heavy machinery. Prashant Arya, district magistrate of Uttarkashi, said the administration remained fully prepared to ensure the safe movement of Char Dham pilgrims and local residents. Monsoon activity remained normal across Uttarakhand over the past 24 hours, with very light to moderate rainfall reported in several areas and heavy to very heavy showers at isolated places. htc...