Police launch search for remains of Uttarakhand flood victims

According to an official estimate, the tragedy left more than 4,000 people missing.

The Uttarakhand Police Wednesday launched an intensive operation in areas surrounding the Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district to unearth the remains of the people who died in the devastating floods of June 2013.

Ten search teams—each comprising six members—set out Wednesday from Sonprayag on different routes. Seven of these teams have been given four days’ time to complete the search. The other three, which have been assigned comparatively tougher routes, have been given six days.

Experienced personnel from Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Pauri Garhwal districts have been roped in for the operation, said Navneet Singh, Superintendent of Police, Rudraprayag.

“The police and SDRF have launched this search operation today. During the operation, teams will search the skeletons, preserve DNA samples, bring the skeletal remains in waterproof body bags back to Sonprayag where last rites will be performed,” Singh said.

Health Department officials have been included in the teams to assist in DNA preservation. The search teams have also been asked to take photographs and shoot short videos of whatever remains they find.
They have been provided tents, sleeping bags, mattresses and wireless sets and will navigate the routes using Google Maps.
Porters and guides will assist the teams on the three difficult routes passing through dense forests.

The unprecedented floods of 2013 left over 5,000 people dead. According to IG (Garhwal range) Abhinav Kumar, total of 3,886 people were listed as missing. In various search operations carried out since 2013, 699 bodies have been found. DNA samples of 18 of them were matched with the samples provided by family members.

A release from SP, Rudraprayag office says that the search operation has been started in compliance of a High Court directive and as per the directives from the police headquaters.

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