Indian troops on Thursday battled bad weather to rescue thousands of people stranded in the flood-hit hill-state of Uttarakhand where 150 people have died.
The overall death toll due to floods and landslides in northern India since Sunday neared 200 as 36 people died in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh states, broadcaster NDTV reported. The toll in the two states had earlier been put at 52.
“Rains and cloudy weather prevented helicopters from taking off from state capital Dehradun through most of Thursday morning. The missions have resumed and are picking up pace,” said Uttarakhand Disaster Relief Minister Jaspal Arya, confirming the death toll.
More than 62,000 people, mostly pilgrims, were stranded in the state. Twenty-two helicopters were being used to airlift people and drop food supplies in inaccessible areas.
The monsoon, which arrived about a fortnight before schedule, triggered floods and landslides, trapping scores of pilgrims who travel to Hindu shrines in the Himalayan state in mid-June.
State Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna described the calamity as a “Himalayan tsunami” and said “very heavy casualties are feared.” “Rescue teams are battling inclement weather to reach remote areas. By Friday, we should have a clearer picture of the damage to life and property,” Arya said.
Around 100 paratroopers had landed in the worst-hit temple town of Kedarnath, where 50 people perished, to locate stranded people and get them airlifted out, NDTV reported.
Disaster management officials told the Indian Express that Uttarakhand had seen its heaviest rains in 60 years.
Buildings, cars, bridges as well as roads were swept away after rivers burst their banks. Heavy traffic jams were seen on the few roads that were open as people rushed to leave the state.
In Himachal Pradesh, 500 people including some foreign tourists were still stranded in Kinnaur district, on the border with Tibet. In Nepal, which also borders Uttarakhand, 19 people had been killed and 25 people were missing.