Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand): Days after the Gaurikund tragedy in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag, the whereabouts of 20 missing people, who were swept away by the strong currents of the Mandakini river, were not known. Efforts are on to trace the 20 missing bodies. The teams drawn from SDRF, NDRF, DDRF, police, ITBP, home guards and Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) volunteers have been searching for 20 missing bodies. Besides, Kedarnath Yatra Management Force personnel have also been deployed to carry out rescue operations.
Incessant rains and strong river currents were hampering the rescue operations. The rescue teams are hoping that some missing bodies could be found buried under the debris. The mishap occurred on August 3 around 11 pm. Out of 23 bodies, three were fished out from the river on the second day of the tragic incident that is on August 4. Three bodies recovered on Friday were Nepali nationals.
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While search is underway for the remaining 20 bodies. Search is being conducted in Mandakini and Alanknanda rivers. The strong river currents in both rivers have been posing a challenge for the rescue team members. Speaking about the ongoing rescue operation, District Disaster Management Officer (Rudraprayag) Nandan Singh Rajwar, "The rescue team members have been carrying out search operations continuously to fish out the remaining 20 bodies. The rescue operation is being carried out in both the rivers Mandankini and Alaknanda." Among the 20 traceless bodies, four are locals, two are from Uttar Pradesh's Agra and 14 people hailing from Nepal.
On August 3 around 11 pm, boulders from the mountain top came crashing down wherein three shops were hit. At least 23 people were there inside these three shops when the tragedy took place. The 23 people fell into the river and were swept away by the strong currents.
