Rains lash Pauri Garhwal district; death toll reaches 13
The Badrinath and Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage were disturbed as routes were temporarily blocked at many places due to landslides, disaster management officials said. The Badrinath route was closed at landslide prone area Lambagad in Chamoli.
PAURI GARHWAL/DEHRADUN: The death toll due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand shot up from 10 to 13 on
Saturday after a mother-son duo from Landsdowne in Pauri Garhwal district succumbed to injuries and
a woman drowned in a swollen rivulet in Gairsain.
In Chamoli district, Vimla Devi, 50, of Talli Kunigar village in Gairsain was swept away when she was crossing the rain-fed rivulet at about 7 am on Friday evening. Her body was found at Ramnagaon of Chaukhutiya block on Saturday morning, about 10 km away from the site of accident.
Dipa Devi, 28, and her 4-year-old son of village Reetha in Lansdowne tehsil were badly hurt when one of the walls of their house collapsed on Friday night. They were taken to the Cantt hospital, Lansdowne for medical attention where they died despite the best efforts of doctors.
The Badrinath and Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage were disturbed as routes were temporarily blocked at many places due to landslides, disaster management officials said. The Badrinath route was closed at landslide prone area Lambagad in Chamoli. Apart from this, the 14th group of Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims at Didihaat was not given permission to move ahead due to torrential rain.
The Gangotri and Yamunotri pilgrimages are progressing as the routes are clear despite rains lashing that part of the state, an official said.
The Ganga was flowing above danger level of 293 metre in Haridwar and 238 metre in Rishikesh, keeping the district administration on its toes to prepare for any eventuality. Rains continued to lash Rudraprayag on Saturday. The Gaurikund highway was blocked at some places, leading to temporary disruption of the Kedarnath pilgrimage as the work was on to clear the route by the PWD and other agencies.
Loss of livestock and poultry were reported from Pauri due to the downpour in the last three days. Many houses are reported to have been pushed to the danger zone of sinking.
Ten houses in village Jogiyana of Yamkeshwar block were pushed to the danger zone because of the flash flood in the Havel river. The administration asked the people to vacate their houses and move to safe places. Two cows and over a dozen hens were killed when a cowshed collapsed in Bhetuli village of Kaljikhal block. Another cowshed collapse at Okhluen village in Thalisain Tehsil of Pauri district in which more than a dozen goats were buried alive. With inputs from agencies