Karimnagar, June 23, 2013: A pall of gloom descended on the tiny village named Gollapalli in Yellareddypet mandal from Friday night after the people received the news of one pilgrim, Akula Narayana Goud, succumbing to boulder injuries in the flash floods at Kedarnath in Uttarakand.

However, the condition of 10 other pilgrims from the village was stated to be safe. They were rescued by the Army and being sent back to Karimnagar. Goud breathed his last in front of his wife, Manemma, on June 17. Manemma had been wailing with the dead body since then as there were no communication facilities to alert the authorities. Worse, she could not speak Hindi.

Grief-stricken

Finally, on Friday night, she took the help of the Army and informed her relatives about the death of her husband making a phone call.

The grief-stricken relatives were unable to disclose further details about how the body of Goud would be brought to their village.

4 families return

Kadapa Special Correspondent adds: Four families of Proddatur who were stranded at Uttarkashi returned home safe.

Eye specialist Y.V. Ramanuni Reddy, retired teacher Rami Reddy, and families of Kovvuru Ramesh Reddy and Muni Reddy have returned to Proddatur, while 29 more proceeded to Haridwar and Rishikesh, Proddatur tahsildar G. Sreenivasulu told The Hindu on Saturday.

However, four members of Vishnuvardhan Rao, a lineman in AP Transco at Kannelur in Jammalamadugu, and six of their relatives of Tirupati, were reported missing. We lost contact with them since June 15, officials of the Control Room in Kadapa Collectorate said.

Vishnuvardhan Rao, his wife, Vijaya Kumari and sons Kishore Kumar and Vinod Kumar and their relatives of Tirupati, L.N. Hari, L. Kanaka, L. Venugopal, L. Swetha, L. Moulender and L. Suseela, are feared missing, they said.

Pilgrims to arrive today

Nellore Staff Reporter adds: Nearly 68 pilgrims who were rescued were on their way back and expected to reach Nellore by train on Sunday.

Balu Subba Rao, a retired principal, told The Hindu that they could reach Haridwar with great difficulty.

But the officials made special arrangements for their journey back home.

Source: The Hindu, DT. June 23, 2013.