Uttarakhand floods: Over 550 dead, 30,000 still stranded NEW DELHI: Four days after a clourburst devastated Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said nearly 600 people have been dead and over 73,000 people have so far been evacuated from the flood and landslide-hit areas. Bahuguna said that 556 bodies had been found even as the military and security forces rescued a large number of those stranded in the hills. "(A total of) 556 bodies have been recovered and there are reports more could be buried under the debris," the chief minister said. "This kind of disaster has never happened in the Himalayan history." He said it would "take a long time to rebuild Uttarakhand" and that no pilgrimage to Kedarnath would be possible for at least the next two years. Around 30,000 people were estimated to be stranded in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand, officials said. Rescuers scrambled Saturday to evacuate those who are still trapped as met office predicted rains from June 24. Home Ministry officials said that efforts have been stepped up to rescue the stranded people. They said around 30,000 people were estimated to be stranded and over 60,000 had been rescued. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) spokesperson Deepak K. Pandey said over 9,500 people were still trapped in Kedarnath and the Badrinath region. He said around 8,000 were estimated to be stranded in Badrinath region. The army, which has been at the forefront of rescue operation in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, today rescued over 1,000 people in the mountains between Gaurikund and Rambara in Kedarnath. In Joshimath sector, the army has constructed a temporary bridge across Alaknanda River near Govindghat to facilitate Hemkunt Sahib pilgrims to cross over. A road link has been opened from Sonprayag to Gaurikund. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed 13 more aircraft for relief and rescue operations. 55 helicopters have been pressed into service for rescue work The IAF has also deployed its heavy lift MI-26 helicopters for transporting fuel and heavy equipment required by the Boarder Road Organization (BRO) to clear roads closed due to landslide.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 04:46:45 +0000
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