Over 70 people died due to rain-related incidents in Uttarakhand: Govt data
The data released by the state government showed nine districts were most hit due to extreme rainfall in the state, with Nainital accounting for a total of 35 casualties.
As many as 79 people lost their lives between October 17 and 19 after incessant rain hit Uttarakhand, according to data released by the state government. A total of 24 people were injured and three remain missing from the rain-triggered house collapses, floods and landslides, the data revealed.
A total of 232 houses were either partially or completely destroyed between October 17 and 19. Nine districts in the northern hill state were affected, with Nainital being the most hit region. Champawat, Uttarkashi, US Nagar, Bageshwar, Almora, Chamoli, Pauri, and Pithoragarh are the remaining eight districts. Besides Nainital, Champawat accounted for 11 deaths, Uttarkashi at 10, and Almora and Bageshwar at six each.
Of the 232 destroyed houses, 101 were reported from US Nagar and 74 from Nainital, the government data showed.
At least 60 tourists, a majority of them trekkers, have succumbed to rain-related incidents in the state. Last week, after conducting an aerial survey of the state along with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Union home minister Amit Shah had said that authorities will gauge the loss of personal property, agriculture and infrastructure. Furthermore, Dhami had also announced an ex gratia of ₹4 lakh to the next of kin of those deceased in the rain-related incidents, and ₹1.9 lakh to people who lost their houses. The chief minister had also announced help to those who lost their livestock.
Meanwhile, soon after the rain fury in Uttarakhand, inclement weather in the state due to heavy snowfall has also led to multiple casualties. On October 21, at least 13 people, including 10 trekkers, lost their lives in separate areas in Uttarakhand after they got trapped in snowbound regions, officials told Hindustan Times. On Tuesday (October 26), bodies of at least five trekkers from West Bengal were recovered from Bageshwar district’s Sunderdhunga valley – located about 360km from Dehradun, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said.
The SDRF team added that the Bengal trekkers were part of a 10-member team that had gone to the state for trekking but got stuck due to snowfall on October 21.


