Sixteen people are dead due to heavy rainfall in 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. People has reached their rooftop and are seeking help .The rains have led to scenes of chaos and disaster across the hilly state, with scary visuals emerging of roads and buildings flooded and and submerged , bridges destroyed and rivers overflowing .
The authorities advised Chardham pilgrims not to proceed to the Himalayan temples till the weather improves . In Lansdowne , the labourers were staying in a tent at Samkhal in Puari District when rubble flowing down from a field above due to the rain buried them alive , District Megistrate Vijay Kumar Jogdande said.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted an aerial survey of areas affected due to heavy rainfall. He later reviewed the assessment of losses after reaching Rudraprayag. Minister Dhan Singh Rawat and state’s DGP Ashok Kumar also accompanied him.
Entire Uttarakhand has come to a halt due to heavy rainfall for the third consecutive day on Tuesday. While water gushed inside houses and basements in several parts of the state, heavy waterlogging was reported from Dehradun. Amid continuous heavy rains in Uttrakhand, a bridge over Gaula River in Haldwani was partially damaged. Besides this, an under-construction bridge over a raging Chalthi River in Champawat was also washed away.
“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.
