Uttarakhand floods: Rescuers race against fresh rain

A sense of urgency was palpable in Uttarakhand on Saturday. With warnings of more rains from Monday, various agencies involved in rescue and relief work were in a race against time.

Fresh showers are likely to hamper rescue operations but the meteorological department has ruled out more floods.

The official death toll reached 557 and as many as 73,000 people have been evacuated till now, said Manish Tiwari, information and broadcasting minister. The toll could rise dramatically as flood waters recede and rescue workers reach isolated areas.

Meanwhile, Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde reviewed the situation in the state. While admitting to a lack of coordination among government agencies, he set a three-day deadline to complete the rescue work. He claimed that about 32,000 people are still stranded in Uttarakhand.

Around 8,500 army personnel have evacuated over 18,000 people from various places like Gangotri, Joshimath, Badrinath, Kedarnath and the Pindari glacier. Only 80-90 people are reported to be stuck in Kedarnath, which bore the brunt of the floods. They are likely to be rescued by Sunday. A total of 390 people have been airlifted. Food and medicines have been dropped at Gaurikund, and two medical teams have now set up base there. The focus is now on Jungle Chatti in Kedar valley, where over 1,000 are stranded in the gorges between Gaurikund and Rambara.

A helipad has been prepared at Jungle Chatti and two others have been built at Gaurikund.

Special trains are being run from Delhi to Dehradun and Haridwar to bring back people.