Heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand for the fourth consecutive day has led to chaos and disaster across the hilly state, with flooded roads and buildings, destroyed bridges and overflowing water bodies leaving locals and tourists stranded - some in remote and dangerous locations.
Uttarakhand's Ranikhet and Almora were completely cut off from plains for the second straight day today due to heavy rain and landslides, while connectivity in Nainital disappeared for most of the day yesterday.
At least 52 people have been reported dead in the state, many of whom were found in the rubble of collapsed buildings, as a result of aggressive landslides and flash floods. The casualties have left authorities fearing for the lives of people who may be trapped under debris.
However, over 1,300 people have now been evacuated from Uttarakhand by the National Disaster Response Force.
Meanwhile, forty-two people have died due to rains and landslides between October 12 and 20, while six people are missing, said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) data shows that the southern state has received 135 per cent excess rain during the period from October 1 to 19.
During the heavy spell on October 16 when the IMD issued a red alert indicating extremely heavy rainfall, numerous incidents of landslips and other rain-related accidents were reported from south-central districts of Kerala, resulting in 39 people dead and 217 homes destroyed.
Here are the Highlights on Rains and Floods nationwide, including in Uttarakhand and Kerala:
Uttarakhand: Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrives at Dehradun airport. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami was also present at the airport.
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
Shah will hold review meetings and take stock of the situation & conduct an aerial survey following heavy rain in the state. pic.twitter.com/HEtb1gcasm
Uttarakhand | Locals of cloudburst-hit Ramgarh in Nainital district say the area has suffered large scale devastation
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
"I have suffered a loss of Rs 40-50 lakhs. A portion of my house is completely damaged. The tank that I built for fish farming is also damaged," says a local. pic.twitter.com/XeBb7ULyxI
West Bengal | Restoration work underway in Kalijhora, Kalimpong following heavy rainfall, today. Landslide was reported at several places in North Bengal. pic.twitter.com/vvtqQmR9dS
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami along with MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt and State minister Dhan Singh Rawat visited rains cloudburst affected Ramgarh in Nainital district today pic.twitter.com/N7a4OXCOjn
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
One of the pillars has gone down a little due to heavy rain & accumulation of water as per our initial assessment. So, in the interest of safety of people, we are suspending the use of the bridge, except for 2 wheelers & pedestrians, for the time being: Gaurav Sharma, CP Siliguri pic.twitter.com/W5PTfgURu6
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
Uttarakhand: Tourists who are stranded in Nainital due to heavy rain and landslides say that they are being charged more than usual by taxi drivers. pic.twitter.com/b2zgBIZXR3
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
West Bengal: Movement of traffic on Balason Bridge in Siliguri's Matigara suspended today, except for two-wheelers and pedestrians, following slight dislocation in one of the pillars of the bridge due to heavy rain. pic.twitter.com/zPNXav5cOW
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
Tourists who arrived in Nainital before Uttarakhand experienced heavy rain & landslide recently, speak of their experience
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
Ankit, from Delhi, says, "Came here on 17th Oct. There was power cut, our phone died & we ran out of money. We used hotel's phone to call home for money." pic.twitter.com/UGK2heWReg
#WATCH | Uttarakhand: Waterlogging in Nainital main market following heavy rainfall in the state in the past two days. #UttarakhandRain pic.twitter.com/TDm7B7wECY
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
Normal life was thrown out of gear in Sikkim today as torrential rain caused landslides at several places, blocking the National Highway-10 and snapping the arterial road link with neighbouring West Bengal, officials said.
Unseasonal rainfall creates havoc in several parts of the country; many tourists stranded in remote locations in #Uttarakhand. pic.twitter.com/zDkxJyhaG8
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 20, 2021
#UPDATE | One more dead body was recovered by NDRF team in Nainital district's Ramgarh area today. An incident of cloudburst was reported here yesterday.
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
#Uttarakhand's Ranikhet, Almora Cut Off Amid Rain, Fuel Only For Emergency
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 20, 2021
Read more: https://t.co/4614c26AID
NDTV's Vishnu Som reports pic.twitter.com/GPyTbIa8XJ
Connectivity to Nainital was restored late last night after hours of struggle, officials told PTI.
#UttarakhandRains Update
- ѕαtчα prαdhαnसत्य नारायण प्रधान ସତ୍ୟ ପ୍ରଧାନ (@satyaprad1) October 20, 2021
20/10/21
🔸Hvy rains in Uttarakhand
🔸Flooding/Landslides
🔸15 tms of @NDRFHQ depld
🔸Ops ON
🔸TOURISTS/citizens evacuated
🔸Khairna,Nainital area@PMOIndia @HMOIndia @BhallaAjay26 @PIBHomeAffairs @PIBDehradun @ANI @DDNewsHindi @8NdrfGhaziabad pic.twitter.com/vtX7tg37Fa
As heavy rain and landslides blocked connectivity to Uttarakhand's Nainital, one of the country's most popular mountain getaways, scores of stranded tourists had to trek their way to safety on Tuesday.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand: SDRF carried out rescue operations in residential areas of Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district, which faces a flood-like situation due to rainfall.
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
SDRF Commandant Navneet Singh also joined in the rescue operations. (19.10.2021) pic.twitter.com/0LKc2TmJ08
Uttarakhand's Ranikhet and Almora remain cut off from the plains - and the former was today forced to ration fuel for emergency services - for a second consecutive day, as the hilly state battles floods and landslides triggered by four consecutive days of heavy rain.
Uttarakhand: A stretch of road being cleared with the help of machines in Jeolikote of Nainital district, near which an incident of landslide took place. pic.twitter.com/ZDYTQs5xlI
- ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2021
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met people affected by heavy rainfall in Kumaon and Garhwal regions of the state and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of those who had lost their lives in the disaster.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has rescued over 300 people from flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand, the federal force said on Tuesday.