In Uttarakhand’s Gaurikund, as many as 12 people were missing on Friday after a major landslide on the Kedarnath Yatra route due to incessant rainfall.

The state disaster response force (SDRF) has begun the search and rescue operation in the affected area. 

Around 10 to 12 people are feared to be buried or washed away in the landslide, according to the officials of the Rudraprayag disaster management. Gaurikund has been a pilgrimage site that also serves as a base-camp for the trek to Kedarnath Temple.

The Gangotri National Highway, located 500 meters away from Bhatwadi, has been closed to traffic since Thursday morning due to falling debris. This has caused inconvenience to the devotees who are on their way to the Gangotri Dham Yatra as they are currently stranded on the route.

Efforts are being made to clear the route and restore traffic on the highway as soon as possible. Additionally, several other roads in different parts of Uttarakhand have also been blocked due to falling debris and landslides.

However, officials have confirmed that the road near Nandaprayag and Chhinka on the Badrinath National Highway, which was earlier closed due to debris, has been reopened on the same day.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on flash floods near Gaurikand said eight out of thirteen people who have been missing after flash floods near Gaurikund are said to be from Nepal. Efforts are underway to identify others.

On Tuesday, officials said that debris blocked the road near Pipalkoti on the Badrinath National Highway. The Indian Meteorological Department has forecasted heavy rainfall in the state in the upcoming days.

Their latest report predicts that there will be heavy rainfall in the state on Friday, followed by widespread rainfall in most parts of the state until August 8th. After this date, the rainfall is expected to decrease in intensity for a while, though IMD still predicts fairly widespread rainfall in the region after August 8th.

The missing persons in a major landslide have been identified as Vinod (26), Mulayam (25), Ashu (23), Priyanshu Chamola (18), Ranbir Singh (28), Amar Bohra, his wife Anita Bohra, their daughters, Radhika Bohra and Pinki Bohra, and sons Prithvi Bohra (7), Jatil (6) and Vakil (3), as per the officials.

A transformer exploded at the Namami Gange project site on the banks of the Alaknanda River in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli where fifteen people died, including a police officer and several others, were injured in the incident. The incident occurred last night when victims were working on the project.  

Several injured have been rushed to the district hospital for treatment. The police reached the spot after receiving information about the incident from a villager. When police reached the incident spot, they found that many people were electrocuted and others suffered severe injuries.

The Additional Director General of Police said that around fifteen people, including a police sub-inspector & five home guards, have died in the tragic incident. An investigation is underway. Prima facie revealed that there was a current on the railing and further investigation will reveal more details.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his condolence and said extremely painful news received of many casualties due to electrocution in Chamoli. Those injured in the accident have been sent to the nearest hospital for treatment. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into this unfortunate incident. He added pray to god for the peace of the departed souls and speedy recovery of the injured.

CM Dhami has ordered a judicial probe into the incident and he prayed for the peace of the deceased and speedy recovery of the injured people.

In another Tweet, Dhami informed that he had left for the incident place and he assured that his government stands with the family of the deceased in this difficult time.

The injured were being referred to a higher centre and have been shifted to AIIMS Rishikesh via helicopter. Orders have been issued to conduct a magisterial inquiry, he added.

The incident has sparked anguish among the locals and they blamed the officials from the energy corporation department for their negligence and have also demanded action against them.

In yet another show of boatmen flexing hooliganism, tourists were beaten up and were threatened in Uttarakhand’s Nainital.

In a viral video that has surfaced on the internet showcases an ugly brawl between some tourists and boatmen on the boats parked on the banks of a lake.

In the video, it can be seen people from the both the sides engaging in a clash with blows exchanged and charging of boat paddles on each other.

As per the local news reports, an argument broke out between the boatmen and the tourists, who had gone to enjoy a boat ride in the Mallital region lake in Nainital. The argument escalated to such an extent that the boatmen allegedly thrashed the tourists and beat them up with paddles.

Reports claimed, the boatmen also threatened the tourists to drown their children in the lake during the altercation. A case has been filed against the boatmen.

The reason behind the argument is not yet ascertained.

This is the second instance in a month in Uttarakhand. Last month, in Rishikesh a scuffle broke out between the rafters during a rafting competition in the middle of the river Ganges.

The fight broke out between two rafting teams and in the same manner in which tourist and boatmen beat each other with paddles in Nainital, the rafters in Rishikesh engaged in a fight using paddles as their weapons for the fight.

Uttarakhand, the hill state witnesses a large amount of tourist footfall anually as it constitutes a number of beautiful, nature-friendly tourist destinations such as Rishikesh, Mussorie, Nainital among others.

A large amount of people also visit the state on pilgrimage tour as there are many religious sites also such as Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamnotri, Hemkund Sahib, Haridwar and others, a reason why the state is also known as Devbhoomi Uttarakhand.