Uttarakhand:
Heavy rain triggered cloudbursts and landslides in Uttarakhand once again, killing at least 10 people overnight in Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts. Several people are missing and feared to have been washed away in a crisis that brought back memories of the deadly floods three years ago which claimed nearly 6,000 lives.
Authorities have asked people living next to the Alaknanda River to not go near the banks. The river is flowing just two metres below the danger level.
Schools in Nainital to be closed tomorrow as Met department predicts heavy rain, says District Magistrate Deepak Rawat.
State disaster rescue force carry out operations in the worst-hit Bastadi village of Pithoragarh.
Fog and low visibility are hampering the rescue and relief operations. Helicopters which were evacuating the injured have not been able to operate for some time now, officials say.
In Haridwar, the Ganga river is flowing just two metres below the danger level. Submontane rivers, which feed the Himalayan rivers are in spate and the low-lying areas next to the Ganga, Kosi and Gomti rivers are at risk of flooding, officials say.
Uttarakhand state disaster relief authorities say the number of dead has gone up to 15 with 11 killed in Pithoragarh district and four in Chamoli. Several people are feared missing and are trapped in houses that have caved in. Villages near Didihat area are among the worst affected.
Heavy rains are expected over the next three days. officials said. Road and communications connectivity has been affected. The administration is working on war-footing to clear landslides and road blocks. Emergency ration has been stored in large quantities at district headquarters.
Four teams of the National Disaster Rescue Force, columns of the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police have been called in for relief and rescue. Low-visibility and blocked roads are hampering the efforts. Chief Minister Harish Rawat said he was "personally monitoring the situation".
Heavy rain triggered cloudbursts and landslides in Uttarakhand once again, killing at least 10 people overnight in Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts. Several people are missing and feared to have been washed away in a crisis that brought back memories of the deadly floods two years ago which claimed nearly 6,000 lives.
