At least 17 pilgrims from Nashik, including seven children, who got stranded in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand, are still missing and no contact has been established with them so far, District Guardian Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has said.
The whereabouts of 17 people, on a pilgrimage to Badrinath and were staying at Bholagiri Math, are still not known, an official release from Bhujbal’s Nashik office said last night.
Accordingly, details of these missing persons — Somnath Tapade (68), Sushila Tapade (57), Khushi Tapade (9), Priya Tapade (27), Harshal Tapade (6), Bashi Toshniwal (39), Vaishali Toshniwal (12), Swar Toshniwal (8), Harish Kela (37), Archana Kela (9), Praveen Jaju (34), Vrushali Jaju (31), Saish jaju (2), Jagadish Nagori (33), Anuradha Nagori (29), Sarvesh Nagori (4) and Pooja Chandak (19) — have been sent to Resident Joint Commissioner Nandini Awade (Dehradun camp).
Maharashtra PWD Minister has also urged the Uttarakhand Government to provide food, medicines and other essentials to Nashik pilgrims, stranded at different places in the hill state, the release said.
He has also requested the administration there to arrange for helicopter service to fly them to Delhi or Haridwar.
According to district control room, they have so far established contact with 55 pilgrims from different areas of Nashik and they are on their way home safely.