Rescue operations are underway after cloudburst in Uttarakhand killed about 29 people and many are missing
Highlights
- Over 100 mm rain recorded in 2 hours, leading to flooding of most rivers
- Gangotri 'Char Dham Yatra' temporarily halted due to the flooding
- Uttarakhand Chief Minister says he's personally monitoring the situation
At least 29 people have died and over 15 are missing after cloudbursts and landslides triggered by heavy rain in Uttarakhand, bringing back memories of the deadly floods which killed nearly 6,000 people three years ago.
Here are the latest developments:
In Pithoragarh district, 11 people including three children have lost their lives. Many are feared missing around the Didihat area where six houses caved in due to heavy rain and mudslide late on Thursday night.
More than 100 mm rains were recorded in just two hours, leading to flooding of most of the rivers in the hill state, officials told news agency IANS.
Four teams of the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF, along with the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police were carrying our rescue operations.
A senior official of the disaster management team said the rescue operations were being carried out smoothly as there has been less rainfall in the last few hours.
Chamba-Rishikesh National Highway-94 is blocked in Bemunda due to landslide. Efforts are on to remove the debris.
Gangotri "Char Dham Yatra" has been temporarily halted due to flooding at the highway after heavy rainfall in the region.
Uttarakhand cabinet will meet today over damage caused in the state due to heavy rainfall and cloudbursts.
Chief Minister Harish Rawat said on Friday that he was "personally monitoring the situation" and had also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to families of victims.
"I am grieved by the loss of lives caused due to cloudburst and heavy rain in parts of Uttarakhand. Condolences to bereaved families," Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted.
The Met department had issued a 72-hour warning from late last night for incessant rainfall in the region including 7 hill-districts of Garhwal and Kumaon Region.
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