Sources fear that the death toll could cross over 500 as several villages were yet to be accessed by rescue teams in the high-altitude terrain.
Rescuers today pulled out more bodies trapped under the debris of the town devastated by cloudburst in which the toll has gone up to 130 even as relief teams tried to access far-flung villages in this high-altitude terrain to search for 600 others missing.
A transport aircraft of the IAF carrying relief material, including blankets, dry food material, medicine and other immediate requirements of the affected people landed at Leh, a defence spokesperson said.
He said the armed forces have launched massive rescue and relief operations for the victims of the devastating cloudburst here.
"We have recovered 130 bodies so far and at least 370 are injured. The number of missing is yet to be ascertained," state police chief Kuldeep Khoda said, adding the toll may go up.
Sources fear that the death toll could cross over 500 as several remote villages were yet to be accessed by rescue teams.
A small village before Choglumsur, which bore the brunt of the incessant rains, was completely wiped out as rescue workers were looking for survivors in the mud slush and debris.
Over 200 people were still reported to be missing from Choglumsar, 13km from here.
A contractor told senior state administration officials that 150 labourers employed by him were missing from Shyong village where he had lodged them. The colony was set up along Indus river and the officials feared that many huts would have been washed away in the flash floods.
The Army has been asked to give an account of local and outstation labourers.
Authorities said that the Army had suffered losses in Turtuk area. Some of the villages along the Chang La pass, world's second highest motorable road, were also believed to have been washed away in the torrential rains.
Union minister Farooq Abdullah reached the area this morning from Kashmir. Later two of his cabinet colleagues --Ghulam Nabi Azad and Prithviraj Chavan -- also reached Leh after making an earlier unsuccessful attempt to land.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah had yesterday visited the affected areas and made an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
Army spokesperson Colonel JS Brar said that rescue operations which had slowed down due to heavy rains have picked up again.
Police, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) and civil administration are collectively involved in the rescue operation.
"Police and ITBP have established camps in the affected area. Civil administration is helping to its maximum," Brar said.
"Among the injured, 300 have been treated. The other injured are treated in army hospital. The 31 Army jawans missing haven't still been located. We found a body," he said.
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