Watch: Stranded Tourists In Nainital Trek To Safety As Landslides Block Roads

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. 

Visuals this morning showed men, women and children being evacuated by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The tourists were seen walking with their belongings on a hillside ravaged by three-day rain that caused rockfalls and landslides, cutting off roads in Nainital. 

In images shared by NDRF chief SN Pradhan, rescuers were seen guiding tourists on a hilly path.

Personnel in orange suits were also seen carrying young children.

Fifteen NDRF teams helped tourists out of Nainital as the picturesque lake town turned into a nightmare because of the continuous downpour. 

At least 40 people have been killed in Uttarakhand because of the monster rain that flooded villages and caused houses and buildings to collapse. Of these, 28 deaths were reported in Nainital.

Electricity, telecom and internet connectivity in Nainital have been badly hit. Ranikhet and Almora remain completely cut off from the plains for the second day.

Connectivity to Nainital was restored in the evening after hours of struggle, said news agency PTI, quoting Deputy Inspector General Nilesh Anand Bharne. 

He said tourists left Nainital through Kaladhungi and Haldwani. 

Roads, bridges and railway tracks have been damaged in Kathgodam and Lalkuan in Nainital. 

Around 100 people, stranded due to flooding at a Lemon Tree resort on the Ramnagar-Ranikhet route, were also evacuated. 

Three Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters have been deployed for relief and rescue operations; two are in Nainital.