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28 tourists from Kerala missing after Uttarkashi flash floods are safe
The group of tourists, who were travelling to Gangotri, are currently stranded near Bhairav Ghati, around four kilometres from the site of the flash floods
Kochi: A group of 28 tourists from Kerala, initially reported missing after suspected cloudbursts triggered flash floods along the Kheer Ganga river in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi, have been found safe, officials said on Wednesday.
The group of tourists, who were travelling to Gangotri, are currently stranded near Bhairav Ghati, around four kilometres from the site of the flash floods.
Malayali Samajam member in Uttarakhand, Dinesh, said that he spoke to the driver of the bus carrying the tourists. “I can confirm that they are safe. Their cell phones are switched off due to batteries dying and absence of network. That’s why they were not able to contact their families,” he said.
A team from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), who were conducting the search and rescue operations, helped the tourists to safety, he added.
Also read: Uttarakhand flash flood: 60 people, including 10 army personnel, missing in Harshil
Of the 28 people, 20 are settled in Maharashtra and the remaining eight are from various districts of Kerala. They were on a 10-day tour to Uttarakhand organised by a travel agency in Haridwar.
At least five persons are dead and over 100 still missing after flash floods struck a cluster of villages along the Kheer Ganga river in Uttarkashi.
Officials said disaster response teams were on high alert and authorities were monitoring the situation closely, especially in low-lying and vulnerable areas near the riverbanks.
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The India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rainfall for the next four days in isolated places across the state, prompting authorities to urge people to remain cautious and avoid venturing near riverbanks until water levels recede.
The Central Water Commission said that four rivers at five sites remained in a “severe flood situation,” meaning water levels were between the danger and the highest flood levels.
