28 Tourists from Kerala Missing in Uttarakhand After Cloudburst Triggers Massive Landslide

A group of 28 tourists from Kerala has gone missing in the aftermath of the catastrophic cloudburst and flash floods that struck Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Tuesday. Relatives of the missing individuals reported that the group was scheduled to travel from Uttarkashi to the pilgrimage site of Gangotri on Wednesday morning, but all contact has since been lost.

According to a relative who spoke to the PTI news agency, the group includes 20 people from Kerala who are settled in Maharashtra, along with eight others from various districts within Kerala. The last communication with the group was a day prior, when a couple from the group mentioned their travel plans.

The landslides occurred along their intended route, and with mobile networks down in the ravaged region, anxious family members have been unable to reach them. The Haridwar-based travel agency that organized the 10-day tour has also been unable to provide any updates. “We have been unable to contact them since they left… Their phones may have run out of battery by now,” a relative said.

The disaster, which struck the ecologically sensitive village of Dharali, has so far claimed at least four lives and left a trail of widespread destruction. Officials report that nearly half of Dharali, a popular stop for pilgrims and tourists, has been buried under a massive slide of debris and slush.

The crisis has also impacted rescue teams, with nine Indian Army personnel still missing after the Kheer Ganga river flooded. A major rescue operation, led by the Commanding Officer of 14 RAJRIF, is underway, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami are closely monitoring the situation, assuring that all possible efforts are being made to assist those affected.