Houses partially submerged in a mudslide after flash floods triggered by a cloudburst struck Kheer Gad area in Dharali of Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand | Photo: X/@suryacommand
Uttarakhand cloudburst: 28-member Kerala tourist group found safe
The visitors, kept in an ashram near Gangotri, are being looked after by Army personnel
A team of 28 tourists from Kerala, who reportedly went missing after a devastating cloudburst caused massive destruction in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, August 5, has been located and found safe.
The group comprises eight people from different districts of Kerala and 20 Keralites settled in Mumbai.
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The visitors, who were travelling in a private bus from Haridwar to Gangotri in the Himalayan state, found shelter at Baba Kali Kamali Ashram near Gangotri in Uttarkashi. Officials confirmed that the stranded tourists were in the safe custody of the Indian Army, which also lost some of their jawans in the disaster.
Members of the group had lost contact with their families after the cloudburst and flash floods hit Dharali village nestled in the Himalayas. The village is a key stop on the route to Gangotri, the origin of River Ganga, and hosts several hotels and homestays. Many of them were washed away and many people went missing. An intense rescue operation was underway to track the missing people despite tough weather conditions. Communication lines were also disrupted.
One of the tourist's relatives had told PTI that the group said they left Uttarkashi for Gangotri around 8.30 am, the same route along which the landslides occurred.
Tourists doing well
While the bus (registration No. UK 08 PA 9599) carrying the Keralite tourists was operated by the local Sree Hari Bus Service, Haridwar, the group was under the supervision of a tour agent who was taking them to various spots.
After hours of uncertainty, Rafeeq, a non-resident Kerala development officer in Mumbai and in charge of coordinating efforts to track the affected group, learned about its whereabouts from the agent.
He said the visitors were doing well and would resume their return journey once the weather cleared and road conditions improved. The group was in touch with the army and local administrative officials for assistance.
(With Agency inputs)