24 friends from Pune, who reunited after 35 years, missing after Uttarkashi flash floods

A group of 24 friends from Awasari Khurd village, 60 km from Pune, are unreachable following the flash floods and heavy rainfall in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. These 24 friends, from the 1990 Class X batch, had reunited for the ‘Char Dham Yatra’ after 35 years,

A Times of India report said the group began its trip on August 1 with a train journey from Mumbai and was scheduled to return on August 12.

Awasari Khurd resident Ashok Bhor’s son Aditya said the family last spoke to him around 7 pm on August 5. “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.

Malhari Abhang, a batchmate who didn’t join the trip, told TOI, “I last spoke to them in a video call on Monday (August 4) afternoon, and some posted updates on social media about heading to Gangotri. But after that, we’ve been unable to reach them.”

The Maharashtra government said it was in constant touch with the Uttarakhand administration after landslides and flash floods in the Dharali area left 151 tourists from the state stranded. So far, 120 of these tourists have been contacted and are reported to be safe at an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp, officials said on Thursday, August 7.

Tourists yet to be contacted include individuals from Thane (five), Solapur (four), Ahilyanagar (one), Nashik (four), Malegaon (three), Charkop-Kandivali (six), Mumbai suburbs (six), and Titwala (two), the officials said.

Maharashtra Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar told the media that arrangements are being planned to bring back the tourists by rail or air transport.

The state’s disaster control room is in continuous coordination with the National Emergency Response Centre, Uttarakhand’s State Disaster Management Authority, the District Control Room in Uttarkashi, and other concerned agencies, an official release stated.

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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)