2013 Kedarnath Floods: Can The Govt Locate 3,075 Missing Bodies? Plea Filed In HC

Last Updated:August 06, 2025, 13:56 IST

Since the tragedy, search teams have been sent four times. In 2020, 703 skeletons were found, while 21 were recovered in 2014 and 9 in 2016. A 2024 search yielded no results

Unfortunately, the 6,000 people who provided samples have not been matched with the unidentified remains. (News18 Hindi)

It has been 12 years since the Kedarnath tragedy, but the harrowing memories of water, debris, and piles of dead bodies remain etched in the minds of those affected. Many families who lost loved ones in the disaster are still waiting to perform their last rites with respect, hoping for a renewed search effort.

The Kedarnath tragedy left 3,075 people missing, and their remains have not been found to this day. Recently, families have filed a petition in the Uttarakhand High Court, urging the Pushkar Singh Dhami government to resume the search for the skeletons of the missing and to ensure their proper last rites.

The government has dispatched search teams on four occasions. In 2020, teams recovered 703 skeletons in the Chatti and Gomukhi areas. Earlier, 21 human skeletons were found in 2014 and nine in 2016.

In November 2024, ten teams set out on various routes, but their efforts yielded no significant results. Recovered skeletons undergo DNA testing, and if a match is found, the remains are handed over to the respective families.

Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman has indicated that preparations are underway to dispatch another search team this year. The Uttarakhand High Court had previously instructed the state in 2016 and again in 2019 to locate the skeletons of the 3,075 missing individuals and perform their last rites.

To date, 702 victims of the Kedarnath disaster remain unidentified, despite the police holding DNA reports of these deceased individuals. Unfortunately, the 6,000 people who provided samples have not been matched with the unidentified remains. The search continues in the hope of bringing closure to the affected families.

Location :

Kedarnath, India, India

First Published:

August 06, 2025, 13:56 IST

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