A group of 28 tourists, including people from Kerala and Maharashtra, has gone missing in Uttarakhand after a cloudburst triggered heavy mudslides in the Dharali region, officials and family members said on Wednesday.

According to a relative of one of the couples in the group, the tourists had left for Gangotri from Uttarkashi around 8:30 am on Tuesday. That same day, landslides hit parts of the route due to a sudden cloudburst.

"They said they were leaving from Uttarkashi to Gangotri at around 8.30 am that day. The landslides occurred along that route. We have been unable to contact them since they left," the woman said.

She also said the Haridwar-based travel agency, which organised the 10-day tour, has not been able to give any information about the group's current location.

The group reportedly includes 20 people from Kerala who are now settled in Maharashtra, and 8 others from different parts of Kerala.

The woman said the last call came from the couple’s son. Since then, the family's attempts to contact them have failed.

"Their phones may have run out of battery by now. There is no mobile network in that region currently," she added.

The cloudburst occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Dharali, an ecologically sensitive area on the Gangotri route. Officials confirmed that at least four people have died in the disaster.

A massive mudslide of slush, water, and debris buried nearly half the village, which is a well-known stopover for pilgrims and tourists visiting Gangotri, the source of the river Ganga. The area is home to many hotels and guesthouses that serve travellers during the pilgrimage season.

Rescue efforts are underway, and authorities are trying to locate the missing group.

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