An injured pilgrim is put on a stretcher next to a helicopter by soldiers and volunteers during a rescue operation at Joshimath, in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, yesterday.
DEHRADUN: Rescuers recovered scores of bodies from the Ganges river in northern India yesterday, as the death toll from flash floods and landslides neared 600, with thousands of mainly pilgrims and tourists still stranded or missing.
Helicopters and thousands of soldiers have been deployed to rescue more than 35,000 people trapped, the home ministry said, almost one week after floods and landslides from torrential monsoon rains struck the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
Raging rivers have swept away houses, buildings and even entire villages, and destroyed bridges and narrow roads leading to pilgrimage towns in the mountainous state known for its Hindu shrines.
“556 bodies have been noticed by the army... either floating or buried in slush,” Vijay Bahuguna, state chief minister told local TV channel CNN-IBN. Scores of bodies were recovered from the Ganges river earlier yesterday, with the death toll expected to rise further as flood waters recede showing the extent of the devastation and rescue workers reach more isolated areas of the state.
“This kind of disaster has never happened in Himalayan history,” Bahuguna said.Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that some 50,000 people were still stranded in the calamity-hit areas of Uttarakhand and the toll so far is 207 “but more people could be buried in the debris”.
More than 34,000 people have been evacuated from the flood-hit areas of Uttarakhand so far, Shinde said. The home minister, speaking to reporters after a meeting with members of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said: “We have evacuated more than 34,000 people. Some 49,000-50,000 people are still stranded.” The home minister said a committee was being formed under the stewardship of former home secretary and NDMA member V K Duggal to coordinate the rescue effort. The home minister said he would visit the flooded area today.
Thousands of people, mainly pilgrims and tourists remain stranded or missing, as anxious relatives waited at state capital Dehradun, where military helicopters and other aircraft are assisting with rescue efforts.
“So many are missing across the state. The numbers of the dead could rise sharply in the days to come,” Uttarakhand’s relief minister Yashpal Arya said. Bahuguna attacked the India Meterological Department (IMD) for not issuing adequate warning ahead of the heavy rains which struck earlier than expected.
“The IMD warning was not clear enough,” he said, adding that the local government was unable to prepare for the deluge and evacuate people in time.
The water level of the Yamuna has fallen below the danger mark of 204.83 metres in the capital, a government official said yesterday. However, more people were evacuated from many areas along the river as a precautionary measure. “The water level of the Yamuna now stands at 204.63 metres, which is just a little below the danger mark of 204.83,” Dharmpal, secretary of Delhi’s revenue and disaster management department, said.
Agencies
