Uttarkashi, September 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A 65-year-old tourist from Maharashtra remained untraced on Saturday after reportedly falling into a deep gorge along the Gangotri-Gaumukh trekking route in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, with heavy rain and difficult weather conditions hampering the search operation for the second consecutive day.
According to the District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC), Ram Kumar Hanuman Gupta was part of a five-member group from Maharashtra that began trekking from Gangotri towards Gaumukh on September 25. At around 2:30 p.m., he reportedly slipped near Kachhidang, beyond Chirbasa, and fell into a gorge estimated to be about 130 metres deep.
Following the incident, personnel from the forest department, police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with local porters, were deployed to locate him.
An 18-member team conducted an extensive search on Saturday. The team included six SDRF personnel from Gangotri, four Nepali porters, four forest department personnel from Bhojwasa, two police personnel and two porters.
Search teams covered areas around Kachhidang, Chirbasa and Devgarh Khale, besides the riverbank below Ram Mandir. However, persistent rainfall and adverse weather conditions affected the operation, and the tourist could not be located until late evening.
Officials said the search would be intensified as soon as weather conditions become more favourable.
The other members of the trekking group have been identified as Deepak Chhotelal, Shivsevak Motilal, Vishal Ram Kumar and Nikhil Suresh. Gupta’s family members are in Gangotri, while the other trekkers are staying at a hotel there.
Meanwhile, the Uttarkashi district administration has suspended the Gangotri and Yamunotri pilgrimage at the Hina and Dobata holding points in view of a red weather alert, as a precautionary measure.
The emergency operations centre and smart control room have been placed on alert, while officials are monitoring rainfall and landslide-related developments. The National Highway, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Public Works Department (PWD) and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) authorities have also been directed to keep machinery and manpower ready for immediate clearance of road blockages.
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