JAISALMER: Five days after a tragic road accident near Devprayag on the Rishikesh–Badrinath National Highway, three women from a Jaisalmer family remain missing in the Alaknanda River. With no breakthrough by Friday evening, search operations resumed on Saturday for the fifth consecutive day.
Search Operations Intensify
Teams of the SDRF, including deep-diving specialists, are continuing intensive search efforts in the river. The fast-flowing water, mountainous terrain, and muddy conditions have made the search particularly challenging. Despite these difficulties, rescue personnel are using modern equipment to search different stretches of the river while senior police and administrative officials monitor the operation.
Last Rites Performed
Meanwhile, the last rites of four family members who lost their lives in the accident were performed in Haridwar on Thursday. The bodies of 27-year-old Dr Dinesh Kumar, his 67-year-old mother Kamla Devi, and his 18-year-old niece Ashlesha were handed over to relatives after post-mortem examinations in Srinagar, Uttarakhand. As three family members—Guddi Devi (40), her daughter Namrata (20), and another daughter reported as Janhvi (16)—remain missing, the grieving family decided not to return to Jaisalmer immediately and instead performed the last rites in Haridwar.
Survivor Airlifted for Treatment
The family's only surviving injured member, 12-year-old Ayushman, was airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh from Srinagar Base Hospital on Thursday due to the seriousness of his injuries. Doctors there are providing specialized treatment, and his condition is currently reported to be stable. Hospital authorities said that timely air evacuation enabled quicker medical intervention.
Details of the Accident
The family, residents of Dariyanath Ki Bawri area of Jaisalmer, had left for the Char Dham pilgrimage ten days earlier with great enthusiasm. On May 26, they had dropped family patriarch Loonaram at Haridwar for Panchakarma treatment before proceeding on the pilgrimage. Their journey ended in tragedy when their Toyota Innova car reportedly lost control and plunged nearly 200 metres into a gorge before falling into the Alaknanda River near Devprayag.
Ongoing Search Efforts
Authorities have stated that no possibility is being ruled out and that the search operation will continue relentlessly. The SDRF has already searched nearly eight kilometres of the river in its efforts to locate the missing mother and daughters. Divers are now conducting deep-water searches in the Alaknanda. The family's vehicle, which was recovered, was found badly damaged and empty.
Witnesses described emotional scenes at the cremation ghat, where mourners bid farewell to the victims. Family members said that Guddi Devi and her two daughters have been missing since the accident. Specialized SDRF diving teams have been conducting continuous searches, and the operation resumed again on Saturday.
The devastating accident has shattered an entire family, and despite days of intensive rescue efforts, the whereabouts of the missing women remain unknown. SDRF divers and rescue teams continue to search the depths of the Alaknanda River in the hope of finding them.
