Uttarakhand Floods Death Toll 'Could Rise to 1,000'

The death toll due to heavy rain, floods and landslides in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand could reach to 1,000, officials confirmed Sunday and said more than 600 have been killed in the calamity and 40,000 stranded in the mountains.
The toll in the unprecedented tragedy on Saturday rose to 673 with 123 bodies being recovered from Kedarnath area and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna saying the casualty figures may touch the 1,000 mark given the massive scale of devastation. Bahuguna also said the rehabilitation of Kedarnath shrine is a top priority of the government and it will be carried out after taking suggestions from the Archaeological Survey of India. He said the bodies being recovered from different places in the state will be disposed of as per traditional rituals and a 'mahayagya' will be held in Haridwar on the 13th day of the tragedy. After a brief suspension due to bad weather early Sunday morning, the rescue operations in rain-hit Uttarakhand resumed to evacuate 22,000 pilgrims still stranded in high altitude areas. Around 70,000 pilgrims have been evacuated so far from the worst-hit Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts where the famous Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are located. Over 40 choppers and 10,000 army and paramilitary personnel are engaged in the rescue operations following one of the worst calamities that hit the hill state last week, the Press Trust of India (PTI) said. Moderate rains in Dehradun and Joshimath delayed start of rescue operations early this morning but they resumed as the weather cleared up after about an hour, official sources said, adding that in view of the MeT department warning of light to moderate rains at places, rescue efforts have been stepped up. With a number of breached roads now repaired, evacuation process is likely to be quickened as many stranded pilgrims are now being shifted to safer locations through road routes as well, they said. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Deputy Inspector General Amit Prasad told reporters at Gauchar that foot tracks are being built in an area of about 50 kms near Badrinath to evacuate stranded pilgrims. "This is being done to reduce our dependence on weather, which may hamper air rescue operations. These roads are being built in Mana outpost near the shrine. About 200 ITBP soldiers are engaged in the exercise," he said.
 

Source: BNA