24 former classmates from Pune among 149 Maha tourists stranded in Uttarakhand
The state disaster management department said at least 149 tourists from Maharashtra were stranded in Uttarakhand.
Awasari Khurd resident Ashok Bhor and 23 of his Std X friends from 1990 batch reunited for the 'Char Dham Yatra' after 35 years. The group members, many now living in cities like Mumbai, began their trip on Aug 1 with a train journey from Mumbai and were set to return on Aug 12 via a flight from Delhi.
Bhor's son Aditya said the family last spoke to him around 7pm on Monday, when the group was about 10km from Gangotri and stuck due to fallen trees and minor landslides.
"Since then, we have not been able to get in touch with him or any other member of the group. Their cellphones are not reachable," he told TOI.
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At least five people have been reported killed in the cloudburst near Dharali village, around 15-20km from Gangotri in Uttarkashi district. A state disaster management official said, "Contacting the stranded tourists in Uttarakhand has been challenging, but we are in touch with the Uttarakhand administration.
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Among the stranded tourists from Maharashtra, 76 are from Mumbai, 17 from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 15 from Pune, 13 from Jalgaon, 11 from Nanded, five from Thane, four each from Nashik and Solapur, three from Malegaon and one from Ahilyanagar.
Around 61 tourists from Mumbai are safe and currently at Hanuman Ashram. However, nearly 75 of the 149 tourists still have their phones switched off, out of network, or not reachable."
Malhari Abhang, a batchmate who didn't join the trip as he visited Kedarnath last month, said, "I last spoke to them in a video call on Monday afternoon, and some posted updates on social media about heading to Gangotri. But after that, we've been unable to reach them."
Abhang said the group had planned to stop in Uttarkashi on Aug 5 and then head to Gauri Kund the next day. "They booked a bus from Haridwar for local travel and were trying to contact the local operator, but so far, no connection has been established," he said.
Family members of the tourists were growing increasingly worried as videos of the cloudburst circulated on social media, with no updates on the group's status. "Despite claims that all Maharashtra tourists are safe, we haven't personally spoken to anyone since the incident, and everyone's anxious," said Mahendra Jangam, whose sister Samruddhi, a Mumbai resident, is part of the group.
On Wednesday morning, Baramati MP Supriya Sule shared details of the tourist group on her 'X' account, appealing to state govt and Uttarakhand chief minister to trace them and ensure their safe return.
An official from Pune district disaster management office said the details of the group from Awasari Khurd village have already been sent to the state disaster management department. "We have been informed that almost all tourists from the state, who are currently in Uttarakhand, are safe. But the administration is yet to establish contact with each one of them," the official said.
A senior official from the Nanded disaster management department confirmed that the 11 tourists from the district were safe and expected to return by Thursday.
"Eleven people from Mau Dongaon in Biloli taluka of Nanded district left on Aug 1 for the Kedarnath-Badrinath Yatra. They are currently in Uttarkashi, about 150km from the cloudburst site. They are all safe," the official said.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, in a statement on Wednesday, said, "State govt is in constant touch with the Uttarakhand administration, and efforts are underway to move stranded tourists to safety and ensure their safe return to Maharashtra."
He urged family members not to panic, while assuring them that govt was taking necessary measures for the safe return of their loved ones.
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