Uttarakhand cloudburst toll climbs to 42

DEHRADUN: The toll in the cloudburst that struck Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand rose to 42 today with the recovery of four more bodies from the debris of flattened houses in the worst-hit Ukhimath area of the district.

Four more bodies have been recovered since last night and 20 are still missing, Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre officials here said.

Search and rescue operations by ITBP and Army personnel are on, they said.

Thirty eight bodies had been pulled out during rescue operations yesterday.

The cloudburst in the wee hours on Friday wreaked havoc in Chunni, Mangoli, Kimana, Sansari, Giriya, Barhmankholi, Premnagar and Juatok in Ukhimath area of Rudraprayag, killing most of the victims in their sleep.

Fifteen persons injured in the calamity are being treated at hospitals in Ukhimath and Srinagar, DMMC officials said.