49 pilgrims, tour operator still missing

The past ten days have been like living the worst nightmare for Ahmednagar resident Anantrao Kulkarni. His son Shekhar Kulkarni, who owns Ambika Travel Agency in Srirampur taluka, is missing since June 16 from Gaurikund. He was escorting a group of 47 people on the Char Dham Yatra.In Haridwar currently, the senior citizen is scouting the relief camps checking the list of the rescued, injured and even the dead for news about his son.

Besides that, he has had to handle calls from irate relatives of missing pilgrims whom his son was accompanying. “This the business belonged to my son, we came here together since I thought he might need an extra hand. After reaching Haridwar, I stayed back here since a group of people wanted to go to Kedarnath by helicopter. My son left with another group by road and the last he spoke to us, the group was leaving Gaurikund since the flood waters had reached there. After that where the group went, if they were rescued or stranded or dead, we have no clue,” said the helpless father.

Travelling with the same group was general surgeon Dr Vidyadhar and his dentist wife Dr Sunanda Kulkarni from Aurangabad. On the ill-fated night as news of swelling waters reached and people from adjoining hotels started rushing to a greater height for safety, the Kulkarnis along with their group left too. After reaching the hotel at a short distance, Dr Vidyadhar and a few men decided to return to ensure safety of their belongings and check if others were left behind. That was the last time she saw him and he has been missing since then,” said brother-in-law Ravi Naik.

Another heartbroken family from Parbhani is Sharad Patil’s family whose six members are missing from the same group. Family friend Satish Mulavekar from Aurangabad said, “My friend Sharad Patil along with his wife Sangita Patil and four other members were at some place near Kedarnath when we last spoke to them on June 16. They were among a group of 120 members from Parbhani who travelled by Ambika Travels. Their son has now gone to Uttarakhand to trace the family.”