Uttarakhand: death toll could cross 10,000, says Assembly Speaker

Mr Kunjwal says he has made this estimate after seeing the enormous scale of devastation while touring the state.

"When I returned from a tour of Garhwal, I had said the number of dead could be between 5000 and 10,000. But in the past six days, based on what we are seeing around us - the large number of bodies that have been found and what people are saying and the telephone calls we have been getting - that number could be over 10,000," he said.

Over one lakh people have been rescued so far from the state in heroic efforts led by the Army and the Air Force. But over 500 still remain stranded in the holy town of Badrinath. Another 3,000 are reported to be missing.

Air Force has evacuated 842 pilgrims from Badrinath. The rescue operations had earlier been delayed due to unfavourable weather conditions. Nearly 500 people, who are still awaiting rescue, are in Army camps, with access to food, water and medical aid.

Army chief General Bikram Singh, who visited Uttarakhand yesterday, has said Army personnel will remain in the state till all those stuck in affected areas are evacuated to safety.

In Kedarnath, the epicenter of the devastation, mass cremation of bodies is taking place at various places to minimise chances of an epidemic outbreak. Till now, 34 bodies have been cremated. So far, the union health ministry has assured that no outbreak of disease has been reported from any part of Uttarakhand, though there have been some cases of diarrhoea in Haridwar, Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag.

A team of experts from the Archaeological Survey of India will visit the 1,000-year-old temple to assess the extent of damage to the structure and to prepare a roadmap for restoration work. (Read: Kedarnath shrine damage to be assessed by experts)

The government is reportedly also planning to airlift excavators to Kedarnath for clearing boulders and debris accumulated there. "Boulders and huge debris have accumulated at Kedarnath and we are planning to carry excavators onboard special Mi-26 helicopters to clear the debris there," said M Sashidhar Reddy, Vice Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) who visited the flood-hit state yesterday.

According to the NDMA, roads between Badrinath and Rambara, Joshimath and Govindghat and Kund and Chamoli via Okhimath and Chopta have been repaired and opened for vehicular traffic. Road connecting Guptakashi and Gaurikund, Uttarkashi and Gangotri are however yet to be opened.

Efforts are being made to ensure supply of relief material to over 600 villages in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts, which have been for nearly two weeks. 2,379 metric tonnes of wheat and 2,875 metric tonnes of rice has so far been dispatched to these villages.