Uttarakhand rainfall: Death toll rises to 10; seven more still missing
Torrential rains on Saturday triggered flash floods and landslides in the Garhwal region, mainly in Dehradun and Tehri
Rescue operations following torrential rainfall and cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun led to the recovery of three more bodies from under the rubble in Sarkhet village, the state disaster response force (SDRF) said on Wednesday. With this, the official death toll in rain-related incidents rose to 10.
The deceased were identified as Rajendra Singh Rana (40), Surendra Singh (45), residents of Tehri Garhwal district, and a Dehradun minor.
Five people were missing in Sarkhet village after muddy water inundated several houses following torrential rainfall and cloudburst early Saturday, SDRF media in-charge Lalita Negi said, adding that search is underway to trace two more bodies.
Teams of NDRF, SDRF and local administration have been engaged in the rescue operations for the past four days using JCBs, road breakers and poclain machines. On Monday, the SDRF even deployed sniffer dogs to locate the missing persons.
At least seven people are still missing, according to the state emergency operation centre.
Torrential rains on Saturday triggered flash floods and landslides in the Garhwal region, mainly in Dehradun and Tehri. The worst affected areas were Dehradun’s Sarkhet village and Maldevta area, and Tehri Garhwal’s Gwar village and Kirti Nagar.
Meanwhile, slush and water brought in by heavy rainfall in the higher reaches on Wednesday morning in Tehri Garhwal damaged agricultural land, and disrupted electricity and water supply, district disaster management officer Brijesh Bhatt said.
However, no loss of life was reported, he added.
Torrential rainfall also resulted in extensive damage to a house and several agricultural fields at Luthiyag village in Jakholi block of Rudraprayag district on Tuesday night.
“The relief team reached Luthiyag where they assessed the damage caused by heavy rain to the house of one Nagdei Devi, who was shifted to her old house as a safety precaution,” Paramnand Ram, sub-divisional magistrate, Jakholi said.
“Two to three houses are in danger due to the landslide, while the revenue department team is also assessing the damage to the agriculture fields and crops in the village,” he added.
“Officials have been directed to reach the affected areas and take necessary actions, including assessment of damage to houses or power supply,” Rudraprayag district magistrate Mayur Dikshit said.
In Uttarkashi district, the Gangotri highway was temporarily blocked due to landslide at Helgu Gad.
“Of 57 damaged water pipelines, 32 have been restored temporarily and work is on to restore the remaining 25,” Satish Nautiyal, executive engineer at the Jal Santhan in Tehri, said.
