At least 17 pilgrims from Nashik, including seven children, who got stranded in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand, are still missing and no contact has been established with them so far, District Guardian minister Chhagan Bhujbal said here.
Whereabouts of 17 people, on a pilgrimage to Badrinath and staying at Bholagiri Math is still not known, an official release from Bhujbal's Nashik office said last night.
Accordingly, details of these missing persons --Somnath Tapade (68), Sushila Tapade (57), Khushi Tapade (9), Priya tapade (27), Harshal tapade (6), Bashi Toshniwal (39), Vaishali Toshniwal (12), Swar Toshniwal (8), Harish Kela (37), Archana Kela (9), Praveen Jaju (34), Vrushali Jaju (31), Saish jaju (2), Jagadish Nagori (33), Anuradha Nagori (29), Sarvesh Nagori (4) and Pooja Chandak (19) -- have been sent to Resident Joint Commissioner Nandini Awade (Dehradun camp).
The Maharashtra PWD minister has also urged Uttarakhand government to provide food, medicines and other essentials to Nashik pilgrims, stranded at different places in the hill state, the release said.
He also requested the administration there to arrange helicopter to fly them to Delhi or Haridwar.
According to district control room, they have so far established contact with 55 pilgrims from different areas of Nashik and they are on their way home safely.
