Death toll in Uttarakhand crossed 560, more than 40000 stranded
Dehradun : Rescuers were racing against time to reach out to thousands of stranded pilgrims sighted in the gorges and ravines between Kedarnath and Gaurikund as 17 foreign tourists were evacuated from the flood-hit Dharasu in Uttarkashi district of India.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that the operations are underway on a war-footing to evacuate about 40,000 pilgrims stranded in various places and set a three-day deadline to the agencies involved to complete the evacuation process.
The death toll in flash floods and landslides in Uttarakhand crossed 560 and is expected to rise as an eight-member team of experts is being sent to Kedarnath shrine to take a count of the bodies lying in the temple area.
Officials said about 1,000 more pilgrims stranded in Rambara and Junglechatti areas en route to Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district were sighted by security forces. These people seem to have taken refuge in the gorges and ravines in these areas when the massive deluge occurred nearly a week ago.
Hungry for days, many of those sighted were ill and in need of immediate medical care, official sources said, adding that the sick and ailing among will be evacuated on a priority basis.
Principal Secretary of State Disaster Management Authority said about 73,000 pilgrims and tourists have been rescued till date.
Apart from the 40 choppers in operation, the Rajasthan Government has also given two choppers and 30 buses for the evacuation of pilgrims.
The situation was improving in Uttar Pradesh as there was no fresh rainfall. While Sharda and Ghaghra have registered a downward trend, the River Ganga was rising all along its route from Fatehgarh to Ballia. . – thehindubusinessline.com
