138 dead as monsoon fury hits north India, flood situation quite serious in Uttarakhand

Flash floods and landslips triggered by the monsoon fury left eight more persons dead, taking the number of people killed in calamity-hit Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to 138 even as 2700 pilgrims and locals were rescued from Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts.


the weather cleared in most places in the north making it easier for rescue personnel to launch operations for those stranded, especially in Badrinath shrine where 12,000 pilgrims are still stuck.


The rain and flood situation in Uttarakhand is quite serious and unprecedented, chief of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) today said in Dehradun.

DG Ajay Chadha said rescue operations will gather pace as the weather has improved today and three battalions of the force (about 3,000 troops) deployed in the state have rescued thousands of people.

"Things are quite unprecedented in Uttarakhand. Situation is grim and quite serious. A number of factors have contributed to this situation like avalanche, cloud burst and continuous rains," Chadha said before leaving for an aerial review of the state along with Union Home Secretary R K Singh and other ministry officials.

Disaster Management authorities said in Chamoli that eight bodies were recovered by villagers late Tuesday evening from Bansinarayan area of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary.

They seem to have perished on Sunday itself in the downpour that lashed the area while they were in search of Kira Jari, a rare aphrodisiac found in the alpine grassland of the sanctuary.

Chamoli additional district magistrate Sanjay Kumar said 1500 pilgrims and locals have been evacuated so far from Ghanghariya, Duendhar and Pulna from near Hemkund Sahib in the district to Joshimath relief camps.

A view of buildings near the Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand before the rains and (right) the devastated area after the incessant rains and floods. HT Photo

With the improvement in weather many more stranded pilgrims are likely to be evacuated to safety by Wednesday evening, he said, adding evacuation of pilgrims from Badrinath is next on their agenda where 12000 persons are still stranded.

1200 persons have also been evacuated from Kedarnath, an official in Rudraprayag said.

The officials said evacuating people to safer places is their priority as recovery of bodies can be taken up later.

A total of 110 people have been killed in Uttarakhand.