Even as Uttarakhand government is patting its back on the successful rescue of 15,000 stranded pilgrims it remained clueless to the persons who have gone missing in the July 31 rain havoc in Kedarnath Valley.
Officials in the State Disaster Management Department informed that they were still assessing the number of missing persons from the disaster-hit areas of the Kedar Valley. However, Rudraprayag district administration officials claimed on condition of anonymity that more than 20 persons are missing as the search for them is still on.
“Some people are still missing from the disaster-hit places where more than 15,000 pilgrims and locals were stranded but it’s difficult to comment on the exact numbers. The local police are extrapolating the number of missing persons. Search operation is still on and rescue teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) along with IAF’s Chinook and MI17 helicopters are stationed in the valley,” said Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Nandan Singh Rajwar.
An official from the District Disaster Management Department said under condition of anonymity, “As per information received from different places hit by the rain fury in the valley, the missing persons figure may cross the 25 as the assessment is still going on. I can’t speak more than this on the issue.”
More than 15,000 pilgrims and local villagers were stranded at different locations in the Kedar Valley triggering cloudburst at Lincholi close to Kedarnath temple, landslides at Bhimbali, Gaurikund, Jungle Chatti and washing away a bridge at Rambara. A huge rescue force comprising personnel of the NDRF, SDRF, DDRF, Indian Army and two IAF helicopters were pressed into service to search and rescue the Kedarnath pilgrims and airlift them to safer locations. More than 8,000 were rescued to safe places through alternate pedestrian rope-routes by the SDRF.
Meanwhile, the rescue operation continued on Thursday as SDRF airlifted 114 more pilgrims from Lincholi to Sirsi helipad. Four persons have died in the rain disaster since July 31.