28 Kerala tourists missing after Uttarkhand flash floods; rescue on
What's the story
A group of 28 tourists from Kerala has gone missing in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand after a cloudburst triggered devastating flash floods. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon in the ecologically fragile Dharali area. "They said they were leaving from Uttarkashi to Gangotri at around 8.30 am that day. The landslides occurred along that route. We have been unable to contact them since they left," a relative said, having last contacted them a day ago.
Last contact
Tourists last spoke to family a day before disaster
Among the 28 missing tourists, 20 are said to be from Kerala but settled in Maharashtra. The remaining eight hail from different districts of Kerala. The relative of one couple in the group revealed that they last spoke with them a day before the disaster. "They said they were leaving from Uttarkashi to Gangotri at around 8:30am that day," she said, adding that landslides occurred along that route.
Communication breakdown
Travel agency in dark about group's whereabouts
The Haridwar-based travel agency that organized the 10-day Uttarakhand tour for the group is also in the dark about their whereabouts. The relative speculated that "their phones may have run out of battery by now" due to a lack of mobile network in the region. She said, "There is no mobile network in that region currently."
Disaster impact
Dharali village buried under mudslide
The cloudburst caused a massive mudslide that buried nearly half of Dharali under slush, debris, and water. The village is an important stop on the way to Gangotri, where the Ganga River originates. It also has several hotels and homestays for tourists. At least four people have been confirmed dead due to this disaster in Dharali.
Ongoing efforts
Rescue operations underway, PM Modi assures support
Rescue operations are currently underway with 150 personnel, including Col Harshvardhan of 14 RAJRIF, leading critical relief efforts. Nine Indian Army personnel are also missing after the floods in the Kheer Ganga river. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami about the incident, who assured that state government teams are supervising relief efforts.