# Error while deleting an index in elasticsearch

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-while-deleting-an-index-in-elasticsearch/115384>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [January 12, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-while-deleting-an-index-in-elasticsearch/115384 "2018-01-12T23:25:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pavithrakc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@pavithrakc](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/pavithrakc)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-while-deleting-an-index-in-elasticsearch/115384/1 "2018-01-12T23:25:00Z")

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One of my cluster status turned to red while I was trying to delete documents from an index.

Out of 5 shards, 4 were stuck at "INITIALIZING" state and I could not reroute it since it is a primary shard.

Restart of elasticsearch did not change the state to UNASSIGNED as well.

So I ended up deleting the index using CURL command.

But deleting the index also failed.

I still the index and its respective shards existing.

cmdty\_cme\_inbound 3 p INITIALIZING 127.0.0.1 lxpbjtu  
cmdty\_cme\_inbound 1 p INITIALIZING 127.0.0.1 lxpbjtu  
cmdty\_cme\_inbound 2 p STARTED 8610204 14.4gb 127.0.0.1 lxpbjtu  
cmdty\_cme\_inbound 4 p INITIALIZING 127.0.0.1 lxpbjtu  
cmdty\_cme\_inbound 0 p INITIALIZING 127.0.0.1 lxpbjtu

I want to use other indices running under the same cluster. So I want to make this cluster healthy.

Please advise.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 11:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-while-deleting-an-index-in-elasticsearch/115384/2 "2018-01-12T23:46:50Z")

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> [@pavithrakc](#):
>
> But deleting the index also failed.

Please show logs and or error responses.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-while-deleting-an-index-in-elasticsearch/115384/3 "2018-02-09T23:47:17Z")

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