Bhopal, June 26, 2013: Around 33 pilgrims from Bhopal are still missing in monsoon ravaged Uttarakhand, said latest reports on Wednesday. A group of pilgrims who went on Char Dham Yatra lost contact with the tour operator on June 19. The devastated family members of one such pilgrim from Dewas has reached Uttarakhand to hunt for the missing pilgrim.

The brother and of a 40-year-old pilgrim from Bhopal arrived at Uttarakhand on Wednesday evening to look for his brother. He said, “I couldn’t wait for authorities to look for my brother. So I came here to find him.”

When contacted the district collector BS Jamod said, “According to obtained information 233 people from Bhopal went on Char Dham Yatra this year. Most of them were stranded along Kedarnath temple shrine. 128 pilgrims have been flown to Bhopal, while 68 others are safe at an army camp in Rishikesh. We are yet to establish contact with the remaining 33 people.”

It was learnt that four people from the city have lost their lives in the Uttarakhand tragedy that struck 10 days ago.

Mud, devastation and death is all that surrounds the holy Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand after the hill state was struck by flash floods and cloudburst close to the area. While the temple is safe, the outer compound has been completely damaged and the town around Kedarnath temple has suffered massive losses as it felt the full force of rising waters.

The hellish rains last week have turned Kedarnath into a ghost town. Though the outer structure of the temple seems intact, there are bodies piled up outside its gate. Kedarnath shrine, one of the holiest of Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, and other buildings have been severely damaged.

Source: Daily Bhaskar, DT. June 26, 2013.