Rain fury in Uttarakhand: Death toll rises to 13 as five more bodies recovered

DEHRADUN: Five more bodies were recovered on Monday from near the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath, taking the toll in the torrential rain lashing Uttarakhand to 13 even as the chardham yatra remained suspended for the second day due to landslides.

Authorities in Chamoli district said the toll may climb as about 50 people from different villages in the area are missing and rescue operations are on.

They said five bodies were recovered from Basukital adjoining Kedarnath.

The Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath motor way and pedestrian routes are blocked at about a dozen places by rocks and boulders that have come down as part of the debris from collapsed houses and landslides triggered by rain continuing for the last 36 hours.

The rain has triggered flashfloods in the Ganga, Yamuna and their tributaries at most of the places sweeping away a number of bridges, roads and buildings.

The swirling waters of Assiganga, a tributary of the Ganga, has swept away several buildings including a four-storeyed house which had been vacated in advance and a temple.

Eight persons were killed on Sunday in three separate incidents of house collapse in Dehradun and landslips in Rudraprayag districts.

Heavy rain caused a house at New Mithi Beri in Prem Nagar area of the city to cave in on Sunday and five persons were killed and six injured after being hit by landslips in Rudrapayag district.

Four of them were killed near Bhim Gali at Rambara on Kedarnath pedestrian route while one was hit by a landslide near Gaurikund which is on way to Kedarnath, she said.

Five buses, a truck and one JCB have been swept away in the flash floods in Uttarkashi district.

Kailash Mansarovar yatra suspended

The annual Kailash Mansarovar 'yatra' was suspended on Monday in view of heavy rain and landslides in Uttarakhand.

"The yatra has been stopped in Buddhi in Uttarakhand in view of landslides and heavy rain. The pilgrims have been accommodated in various locations and the route will be opened again after things get normal," a senior ITBP official said.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) guards the yatra and pilgrims.

The annual pilgrimage that goes into Tibet had commenced last week after the first batch of 53 pilgrims from Delhi had reached Kathgodam in Pithoragarh.

A total of 18 batches of pilgrims are scheduled to have a glimpse of holy mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, and take a holy bath in the sacred lake of Mansarovar.