Kathmandu, Aug. 4
The Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi, India informed late
evening on Friday that 16 Nepali nationals have gone missing in the landslides
near Gaurikunda in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state in India.
Gaurikunda is a famous pilgrimage site enroute to Kedarnath Temple and a
basecamp for the trek to the shrine located in the Garhwal Himalayan range near
the Mandakini River.
The landslides triggered by a heavy rainfall killed at least
three people while, according to Indian media 19 are gone missing. Of the three
dead bodies, two were identified as Nepali and one as Indian citizens. One is
identified as Tek Bahadur Kami from Kalikot while the difficulties have emerged
in identifying the other due to wounds on the face.
At least three shops near the Gaurikund post bridge were
damaged by the landslides.
According to the embassy, Nepali people around the area
informed that seven members of a family from Jumla of Nepal who were running a
hotel at Gaurikunda have gone missing. Another four from Jumla and five from
Kalikot district who were there for employment have also gone missing in the
landslides.
"However, according to the media and authorities of the
local governments, due to the inflated level of the river and adverse weather,
search operations have been affected," read the statement from the
embassy.
Meanwhile, the embassy has requested
the district authorities in Rudraprayag and Ministry of Extarnal Affairs, India
to search the missing people, rescue those affected by the disaster and provide
relief to them, handover the dead bodies to the concerned families at the
earliest.
"We are in close contact
with the Disaster Control Room in Rudraprayag and Disaster Management Secretary
there," said the Embassy. For further information Disaster Control Room,
Rudraprayag (+918958757335) and Nepali Embassy, New Delhi (+919205195035) can
be approached.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 5 August 2023.
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