Authorities in Rudraprayag district recovered the bodies of seven individuals on Friday and Saturday, two months after devastating rains, landslides, and cloudbursts struck the Chenagad area on August 28 and 29. The disaster had claimed several lives and left nine people missing, including four Nepali labourers. Among the deceased identified so far is 25-year-old forest worker Kuldeep Singh Negi from Uchhola village near Guptkashi. Efforts are underway to identify the remaining six bodies through DNA sampling and family verification.
The recoveries mark a sombre milestone in an intensive search operation conducted by the district administration, local police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other agencies despite challenging Himalayan terrain. Two bodies were extracted from debris on Friday, with five more located during Saturday’s coordinated efforts. The operation has relied on heavy machinery, canine units, and manual excavation in landslide-affected zones where soil instability continues to pose risks to rescue teams.
The August deluge triggered massive landslides that buried homes, roads, and vehicles under tonnes of mud and rock, isolating Chenagad and surrounding villages. The initial response focused on evacuating survivors and restoring connectivity, delaying systematic searches for the missing. Officials report that the rugged topography, coupled with recurring minor landslides, complicated access to potential burial sites along riverbanks and ravines.
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Search operations remain active for the two individuals still unaccounted for, with teams expanding the perimeter based on eyewitness accounts and geological assessments. The district administration has assured families of continued support, including compensation and rehabilitation assistance. This incident underscores the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in Uttarakhand, prompting calls for enhanced early warning systems and stricter enforcement of construction norms in
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