Dehradun: Heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand for the third 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.
34 people have been reported dead, including labourers from Nepal who were buried alive by rubble, and people from Champawat district where a house collapsed after a landslide. The casualties have left authorities fearing for the lives of people who may be trapped under debris.
Amid the chaos, the Nainital lake has overflowed, an under-construction bridge over the Chalthi river has been washed away due to a rise in water levels, and a car with passengers inside got caught between two boulders in the middle of a swollen stream.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Uttarakhand with a forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state on Monday.
In what will come as some relief going forward, the weather department has indicated a "significant reduction in rainfall activity over Uttarakhand from today", predicting "isolated to scattered" showers.
Here are the Highlights on the Uttarakhand Rains and Floods:
Oct 19, 2021 20:57 (IST)
Update: 34 Killed, 5 Missing Amid Heavy Rains In Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "So far 34 people have died and five are missing. Rs 4 lakh compensation will be given to the families of the deceased. Those who lost their houses will be given Rs 1.9 lakh. All possible help to be extended to those who lost their livestock," he said.
Oct 19, 2021 13:29 (IST)
Uttarakhand Rains: State Disaster Response Force conducts overnight rescue operations
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in Uttarakhand has teams conducting overnight rescue operations, amid a flood-like situation triggered by heavy rains in the state.
The SDRF said that today was very challenging due to incessant heavy rain. The calls for rescue kept on coming throughout the night and a quick response was given by the teams.
On Monday, in the overnight operation, the rescue team conducted many operations in different places across the state and rescued over 50 people, including 22 devotees stuck in incessant rainfall while returning from the Kedarnath temple, four labourers and many vehicles that were stuck in debris due to the landslide, and a girl trapped in a collapsed house.
