6 dead, 11 missing as rescuers dig through debris in Uttarakhand

Rudraprayag: Rescuers rummaged through knee-high debris in the Chenagad area of Rudraprayag district on Saturday in search of missing persons, a day after heavy rain and cloudbursts pounded various districts of Uttarakhand and left a trail of destruction.

Out of the 11 people missing, eight, including four locals and as many Nepali labourers, are from the Chenagad area and three from Bageshwar.

Six people died and 11 went missing after heavy rain, landslides and cloudbursts pounded Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Tehri districts early on Friday.

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With the weather improving on Saturday in Chamoli and Rudraprayag, search and rescue efforts gathered pace, officials said.

“Knee-high debris has accumulated in the Chenagad market area, where more than 10 shops and dhabas have been completely washed away in the disaster. The roads are also breached.

“Our focus is to restore road access to the affected areas so that heavy machines can be moved there to clear the rubble,” Rudraprayag District Magistrate Prateek Jain said.

In the absence of heavy machinery, it would be difficult to reach those trapped under the debris, hanging on to their lives, he said.

Chamoli, Rudraprayag, and Bageshwar districts reported five deaths on Friday, while the body of a 10-year-old boy was recovered from a river in Dehradun.

Uttarakhand witnesses natural disasters during monsoon every year but this time it has been hit really hard.

Friday’s cloudbursts in Chamoli and Rudraprayag were preceded by a disaster at Tharali in Chamoli on August 23, in which a woman was killed while another went missing.

Uttarakhand also witnessed massive devastation on August 5 when a flash flood in the Kheer Ganga river swept through Uttarkashi district, razing nearly half of Dharali — a key stopover on the Gangotri route dotted with hotels and homestays.

An army camp in neighbouring Harsil was also hit, allowing the residents no time to flee to safety.

According to the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, natural disasters in the state since April have killed 74 people, injured 107 and left 95 missing.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has reviewed the relief and rescue operations underway in different parts of the state, and asked officials to keep a close eye on areas sensitive to natural disasters.

All precautionary measures should be taken in the calamity-prone areas to ensure the safety of lives and properties, he said.

The disaster management authorities should stay in alert mode all the time to deal with any emergency, Dhami said.

“Disasters are not in our control but relief and rescue teams are doing a commendable job by reaching ground zero immediately and launching rescue operations,” the chief minister said.

Jain said he has given clear instructions that relief and rehabilitation work in the disaster-affected areas should be taken on top priority and all possible assistance should be provided to the affected families.

After inspecting the relief work at Tal Jaman village, Chief Veterinary Officer Ashish Rawat said that according to information received so far, 15 animals are missing in the area, including one calf, three bulls, eight cows and three buffaloes.

Two animals have been pulled out of the debris, while first-aid has been provided to 15 injured animals on the spot, he said.

An 11-member expert team has been sent to various places by the veterinary department to take care of the animals, the official added.

The Chenagad area has been the worst hit, Rudraprayag district nodal officer Prem Singh Rawat said, adding that rescue teams are constantly trying to trace the eight missing people, he said.

Rawat said he inspected a school, residential buildings and cow shelters in the area and took stock of the damage.

Due to the disaster, power supply was disrupted at Tal Jaman and Dungar villages. To tackle the situation, the UREDA department distributed 15 solar lights in Tal Jaman and 10 in Dungar, officials said.

The electricity department is working to to restore power supply, they added.

The administration has sent 25 food packets, 5,000 water bottles, 5,000 salty packets and 250 additional ration kits to the affected families in Tal Jaman.

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