Heavy rain continued to pound Uttarkashi as rescuers resumed their operations on Wednesday in Dharali, searching for flash flood victims amid the rubble.
Nearly half of the picturesque Dharali village was ravaged by flash floods on Tuesday afternoon.
The village is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates Four deaths have so far been confirmed in the flash flood, which followed a cloudburst. Around 130 people have been evacuated to safety. Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami surveyed the flooded area from a helicopter.
"The rescue work is apace. Teams from the army, ITBP, and SDRF have reached the spot. Around 70-80 people have been rescued... A road has been blocked. The DM and an SP rank officer are on their way to the spot. It's a challenging situation as it is still raining there," he told PTI Videos.
Dhami said arrangements have been made for medicines and food and 160 police personnel have been deployed, 10 of them senior and three SP-rank, to oversee the disbursement of ration. Three nodal officers have been appointed from the CM's office.
"Every life matters to us," the chief minister said.
The Indian Army has deployed its MI-17 and Chinook helicopters to look for the stranded. At least 60 people are said to be missing, but the number is likely higher, as many had gathered for the Har Dudh fair in Dharali village when the tragedy struck.
The missing also include 11 soldiers, Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Shrivastava said. Colonel Harshvardhan, Commanding Officer of 14 Raj Rif, is leading the relief and rescue operations with a 150-soldier team.
Despite its soldiers going missing and its base being hit, the team is working with full courage and determination, Shrivastava said.
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