Uttarkashi, September 26 (Udaipur Kiran) : A 65-year-old tourist from Maharashtra has gone missing after falling into a deep gorge along the Gangotri-Gaumukh trekking route in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. The incident occurred on September 25, when Ram Kumar Hanuman Gupta reportedly slipped near Kachhidang, approximately 130 meters down the gorge.
Rescue operations have been hampered by heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions, prompting officials to continue the search for a second consecutive day. A group of five tourists from Maharashtra had set out from Gangotri towards Gaumukh when the accident happened around 2:30 PM.
Teams from the forest department, police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local porters have been deployed in the search efforts. An 18-member rescue team, including six SDRF personnel, four Nepali porters, and others, conducted extensive searches around Kachhidang, Chirbasa, Devgarh Khala, and the riverbank below Ram Temple. Unfortunately, the inclement weather has made the search challenging, and no trace of the missing tourist has been found as of late evening.
Authorities have indicated that the search will be intensified as soon as weather conditions improve. The other members of the trekking group have been identified as Deepak Chhotelal, Shivsevak Motilal, Vishal Ram Kumar, and Nikhil Suresh. Gupta’s family is currently in Gangotri, while the remaining trekkers are staying at a local hotel.
In light of a red alert issued by the weather department, the district administration has temporarily suspended pilgrimages to the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines at the Hina and Dobata holding points. Emergency operations centers and smart control rooms remain on high alert, closely monitoring incidents related to rain and landslides. Officials have instructed the National Highway, BRO, PWD, and PMGSY authorities to prepare machinery and manpower to clear blocked roads promptly.
Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.