Unable to trace parents at Kedarnath, Madhya Pradesh woman ends life

After failing to trace her parents, who had gone to Kedarnath pilgrimage, a 35-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide here, police said today.

The dejected woman, Mamta Tripathi hung herself yesterday when her family could not find the whereabouts of father Nathuram Parashar (60), mother Kamla Devi (50), uncle Satish Parashar and aunt Vimla Devi, who had left for the pilgrim town on June 5, they said.

Mamta's husband had also left for Haridwar on June 18 to search for his wife's parents. She had spoken to them for the last time on June 15 and since then there was no contact, police said.

The woman had yesterday gone to Manshadevi temple to pray for the safety of her parents and on returning home, she cooked food for her family and after eating went to her room and took the extreme step.

At least 3,000 people are still reported missing in the massive Uttarakhand floods and landslides after heavy rains pounded the hill state on June 15, leaving nearly 1,000 dead and scores stranded.

Kedarnath is the worst-affected in the flood fury, and authorities are racing against time to minimise risks of an epidemic outbreak there.