28 Tourists From Kerala Missing After Uttarakhand Cloudburst; 5 Dead, 413 Rescued In Uttarkashi

A group of 28 tourists from Kerala has reportedly gone missing following a cloudburst that led to a massive landslide and flash floods in Uttarakhand on Wednesday.

As per media reports the 20 of the missing individuals originally hail from Kerala but currently reside in Maharashtra. The remaining eight are from different parts of Kerala.

So far, 413 people have been rescued, and efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining stranded individuals after a devastating cloudburst in Uttarkashi district triggered massive flash floods and landslides, causing widespread destruction in the Dharali and Sukhi Top areas.

ITBP Spokesperson Kamlesh Kamal said, “Yesterday, we got information that on the route to Kinnaur, there was a single wooden maxi-shift bridge that was washed away. We learned in the initial stage that about 100 people were stranded. Till this morning, 413 people have been rescued safely. From morning till now, 57 people have been rescued. The information is that 100 more people are stranded there. They will also be rescued by evening.”

According to NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahedi, four people have lost their lives and over 50 are reported missing. He added that around 11 Army jawans are reported missing in Harsil.

NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahedi said, “As per the information received, four people have lost their lives and over 50 people are reported missing. Flash floods were also reported in two places in Harsil and Sukhi Top. Around 11 Army jawans are reported missing in Harsil.” 

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dham visited ground zero and met locals at the site of the Dharali cloudburst and mudslide, which caused significant damage to houses and other buildings. Chief Minister Dhami also carried out an aerial survey to assess the extent of the damage and monitor the ongoing relief operations. 

Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami convened a disaster management meeting at the State Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to review the situation following the cloudburst and flash floods in Dharali, Uttarkashi.

Rescue and recovery efforts are actively being carried out with full support from both the state and central governments.

(With ANI Inputs)