51 tourists from Maharashtra stranded in Uttarkashi safe:Govt

As many as 51 tourists from Maharashtra stranded in Uttarakhand following heavy rainfall and a cloudburst in Uttarkashi are safe, state officials confirmed on Wednesday. According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, 11 of the stranded tourists are from Nanded district,16 from Jalgaon while the remaining 24 belong to other Maharashtra districts. “The Maharashtra government is ready to provide necessary assistance to the tourists stranded in Uttarakhand and is in constant touch with them. The state government is coordinating with the Uttarakhand Disaster Management Centre and Uttarkashi District Disaster Centre, and efforts are being made through Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi to move the tourists to a safe location. Instructions have also been issued to district administrations in Maharashtra, and the situation is being continuously monitored,” the State Emergency Operations Centre said in a statement. Relatives of the stranded tourists have been requested to contact the following numbers for assistance: State Emergency Operations Centre, Maharashtra: 9321587143 / 022-22027990 / 022-22794229. State Emergency Operations Centre, Uttarakhand: 0135-2710334 / 821.

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) working president and MP Supriya Sule urged Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to provide urgent assistance to 24 citizens from Manchar in Pune district who are also stranded. According to the Uttarakhand government, teams from the Army, ITBP, and NDRF are carrying out relief and rescue operations in Dharali, Uttarkashi. The Army is using drones to assess the damage and locate trapped individuals for timely evacuation. “The Disaster Operations Station in Dehradun is functioning round-the-clock to provide all possible assistance,” he added.

As of 3 pm on Wednesday, there are a total of three confirmed fatalities, while 50 people are reportedly missing, according to a statement from the Indian Army. Over 225 Army personnel including infantry and engineering teams are on ground for search, rescue, and relief tasks. Combat engineers have reached Dharali to aid in clearing debris and restoring mobility.