A 65-year-old tourist from Maharashtra went missing after falling into a deep gorge along the Gangotri-Gaumukh trekking route in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
He has remained untraced since the incident. After the incident, teams from the forest department, police, SDRF and local porters were deployed for the search operation. The teams searched extensively around Kachhidang, Chirbasa, Devgarh Khale and along the riverbank below Ram Mandir. However, persistent rain and difficult weather conditions hampered the rescue operation, and no trace of the missing tourist was found till late evening.
A group of five tourists from Maharashtra had set out from Gangotri towards Gaumukh on September 25, according to the District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC). At around 2:30 p.m., Ram Kumar Hanuman Gupta, 65, reportedly slipped near Kachhidang, beyond Chirbasa, and fell into a gorge estimated to be around 130 metres deep. On Saturday, an 18-member team comprising six SDRF personnel from Gangotri, four Nepali porters, four forest department personnel from Bhojwasa, two police personnel and two porters took part in the operation.
Search and rescue operations are underway for the second consecutive day while heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions continue to persist, according to officials.
The other members of the trekking group have been identified as Deepak Chhotelal, Shivsevak Motilal, Vishal Ram Kumar and Nikhil Suresh. The missing tourist’s family members are present in Gangotri, while the other trekkers are staying at a hotel in Gangotri.
