New Delhi: Sixteen people are dead as heavy rainfall battered Uttarakhand for a third straight day today, leaving authorities fearing for the lives of many more who may be trapped under debris and in flooded areas.
“Prime Minister and Home Minister have been briefed on the situation. Houses, bridges etc. have been damaged and 16 people have died so far. Three (Army) helicopters to be deployed for rescue operations,” Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was quoted by news agency ANI.
However, Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar told ANI “24-25 people are dead due to incessant rains”.
The Chief Minister who, with Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat and Mr Kumar, conducted an aerial survey, also told reporters damage had been done to farmers’ crops and fields.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Mr Dhami to take stock of the situation.
In what will come as some relief going forward, the weather department has indicated a “significant reduction in rainfall activity over Uttarakhand from today”, predicting “isolated to scattered” showers.
The rains have led to scenes of chaos and disaster across the hilly state, with scary visuals emerging of roads and buildings flooded and submerged, bridges destroyed and rivers overflowing.
Picturesque Nainital was cut off after all three access roads were blocked by landslides. Roads to Kaladhungi, Haldwani and Bhawali have also been closed by debris from landslides, ANI reported.
Eleven deaths were reported today; seven people died after house collapse incidents in the Mukteshwar and Khairna areas of Nainital and one person was swept away in Udham Singh Nagar.
Five were reported Monday, including three labourers from Nepal who, according to news agency PTI, were staying near Lansdowne when they were buried alive by rubble flowing down from a field above.
The two other deaths from Monday came after a house collapsed in Champawat district, where an under-construction bridge (over the Chalthi river) has been washed away due to a rise in water levels.
#WATCH | An under construction bridge, over a raging Chalthi River in Champawat, washed away due to rise in the water level caused by incessant rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand. pic.twitter.com/AaLBdClIwe
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2021
The iconic Nainital lake has overflowed after more than 500mm of rain in 24 hours meant water levels surged to a record high.
Visuals from ANI this morning showed water rushing into nearby houses and streets. The famous Mall Road and Naina Devi temple have been flooded, and a hostel was damaged by landslides.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand: Nainital Lake overflows and floods the streets in Nainital & enters building and houses here. The region is receiving incessant heavy rainfall. pic.twitter.com/G2TLfNqo21
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2021
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