Six years after Kedarnath floods, missing man reunited with family

Jameel Ahmed Ansari, who was presumed to be dead by his family, was reunited with them after six years due to 'Operation Smile' conducted by Uttarakhand police to trace missing persons.

His family had presumed that he had passed away in 2013 Kedarnath floods, which left many dead and several untraceable.

Sixty-two-year old Ansari, a resident of Sitarganj, was found by the police in an old age home at Gopeshwar in Chamoli district where he had been living for the past two years as he had no money to return to home. Police officials managed to trace his whereabouts after putting up his picture on social media. He was identified by his nephew.

"I had no money to return. I was a construction worker when the floods came. I stayed at an old age home for two-three years. I am happy to be reunited with my family. I will not go anywhere else now," Ansari said.

His wife Mobin Ansari and elder son travelled to Gopeshwar and the police handed him to them on January 1.

"I searched for him everywhere. He went missing during Uttarakhand floods. The police received his photo and we received information from one of our relatives. We have already spent so much money in trying to trace him," Mobin Ansari said.