Uttarakhand flash floods: 120 Maharashtra tourists safe, 31 missing

The Maharashtra government is in constant touch with the Uttarakhand administration after landslides and flash floods in the Dharali area of Uttarkashi district left 151 tourists from the western state stranded, officials have said.

The disaster struck the ecologically-fragile area in the northern state on Tuesday afternoon (August 5).

So far, 120 of these tourists have been contacted, and they are reported to be safe at an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp, officials said on Thursday (August 7).

31 tourists yet to be located

Maharashtra Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar spoke to his Uttarakhand counterpart Anand Bardhan, requesting all necessary assistance in locating the remaining 31 tourists and facilitating their return.

Tourists yet to be contacted include individuals from Thane (5), Solapur (4), Ahilyanagar (1), Nashik (4), Malegaon (3), Charkop-Kandivali (6), Mumbai suburbs (6), and Titwala (2), the officials said.

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"Due to cloudy weather, poor mobile connectivity, and the lack of charging facilities, communication with the remaining tourists has been disrupted. Bardhan assured Kumar that efforts are underway to trace them and ensure their safety," an official said.

Kumar chaired a review meeting at the state disaster management control room, which was attended by Additional Chief Secretary for Relief and Rehabilitation Sonia Sethi, and Disaster Management Director Dr Bhalchandra Chavan, among others.

Group of former batchmates safe

A disaster management official in Pune told TOI that a group of 24 former batchmates of a school in Awasari Khurd village in Manchar had been located and they were safe.

The authorities had been unable to locate them earlier after heavy rainfall and landslides in Uttarkashi disrupted communications in the region.

The group of friends had travelled through the Dharali-Harsil stretch on Monday (August 4), just a day before a flash flood swept through the area. One of the travellers said they did not realise until later what a narrow escape they had had, and that they could have been caught up in the flood if they had left any later.

23-member group located

Another group of 23 persons have been located and are said to be safe.

A resident of Mumbai, Pratham Temkar, whose father is part of the group from Maharashtra, told TOI that they received a call from the Army on Wednesday night (August 6) telling them all the members of the group were safe. The Army also shared pictures of the group.

The tourists were unable to charge their phones or get a signal because of the infrastructure damage in the surrounding region.

Jalgaon, Thane tourists safe

A disaster management official from Jalgaon district Narvir Rawal confirmed that 19 tourists from Jalgaon who were stranded in Uttarakhand have been located and are safe.

He also said that Anamika Mehra, a singer and digital content creator from Jalgaon who had gone to Dharali on Monday to shoot a video had travelled through the Dharali-Harsil stretch a day before the flash flood struck.

A senior official from the Thane collectorate confirmed to the media that two tourists from Mira-Bhayandar have been traced.

CM Fadnavis monitoring situation

Kumar urged families of the tourists not to panic, stating that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is personally monitoring the situation and is in touch with Uttarakhand officials. Arrangements are being planned to bring back the tourists by rail or air transport.

The state's disaster control room is in continuous coordination with the National Emergency Response Centre, Uttarakhand's State Disaster Management Authority, the District Control Room in Uttarkashi, and other concerned agencies, an official release stated.

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The Maharashtra State Emergency Operations Centre is actively working with Uttarakhand's disaster management teams to ensure timely updates and support to the families, the release said.

Rescue operations underway

According to Uttarakhand authorities, rescue operations are underway. All tourists will be moved from the Harsil helipad to Gangotri using helicopters, buses, and on foot if necessary.

Ten ITBP teams, each responsible for escorting 30 pilgrims, have been deployed for their protection. Army, NDRF, SDRF, and local rescue units are already on the ground in the affected area.

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Due to bad weather, the road and communication infrastructure are still not fully restored, but restoration efforts are ongoing.

Special IG Rajeev Swaroop has activated satellite phones for coordination, and help from the telecom department is being sought to trace the last-known location of the missing tourists.

(With agency inputs)