“Father said –we’re safe… and finally, my heart was at ease”

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A group of 18 pilgrims from the city narrowly escaped a cloudburst in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, triggering hours of anxiety and sleepless nights for their families back home.

“The moment I heard my father’s voice, I could finally breathe. We were restless all day, and no one slept all night,” said Deepak Dahiwal, whose father and relatives were part of the group. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning near Dharali. At the time, the pilgrims were just 10–12 km away in Bhairav Ghati, where they had stopped for lunch. Heavy rainfall led to a power outage and a complete mobile network failure, cutting off all communication. Back in Cidco N-8’s Navbharat Society, where the Dahiwal family and many of the pilgrims reside, panic set in as repeated calls went unanswered. “Phones just said ‘switched off’. It was terrifying,” Deepak recalled. Finally, at 5 pm on Wednesday, Shivaji Dahiwal managed to call and reassure the family: “We are all safe. Don’t worry.” That single sentence brought visible relief and tears to the eyes of waiting family members. The group is now staying at a Forest Department guesthouse in Bhairav Ghati. With a nearby bridge washed away, they’ve been advised to remain there for at least two more days.

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The 18 Pilgrims:

Ujjwala Borde, Arun Borde, Jyoti Borde, Bharati Kupatkar, Pramila Dahiwal, Shivaji Dahiwal, Shubhangi Shahane, Kiran Shahane, Manju Nagare, Santosh Kupatkar, Nutan Kupatkar, Shivdatt Shahane, Usha Nagare, Kalpana Bansode, Navjyot Thorhatte, Vedant Thorhatte, Sheetal Thorhatte, and Krishna Thorhatte.

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"Our hearts sank when contact was lost"

“We left our luggage at Hotel Prakriti and went sightseeing. After the cloudburst, we had no way to reach them. Thankfully, through the travel agency, we tracked them to Bhairav Ghati. Now, we're just relieved.”

— Aditya Dahiwal, son of Shivaji Dahiwal

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“Family stayed constantly connected”

“All 18 are our relatives. Once we heard about the cloudburst, the entire family stayed in touch and hoped for the best. Thankfully, everyone is safe.”

— Aditya Dahiwal, family member