Death toll from floods, landslides in Indian state rises to 60

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) – The death toll from flash floods and landslides in India’s northwestern state of Uttarakhand spiked to 60, according to authorities on Thursday.

According to a statement by State Emergency Operation Center, two people are still missing as heavy rains wreaked havoc earlier this week in the Himalayan state.

The connectivity to various parts of the state still remains affected as roads have been damaged due to incessant rains and landslides in the last few days. Many railway tracks and bridges have either been damaged or washed away due to heavy rains, said the statement.

However, much to the relief of workers engaged in relief and rescue operations, the rainfall has reduced substantially across the state.

In a statement on Wednesday, the National Disaster Response Force said that 1,300 people have been rescued from the affected areas, adding it has deployed 17 teams at different locations for rescue work.

Home Minister Amit Shah, who reached Dehradun, capital of Uttarakhand, on Wednesday, conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas on Thursday.

Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department has predicted a fresh western disturbance that is likely to affect Western Himalayan Region, especially Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan & Muzaffarabad, and Himachal Pradesh, during Oct. 22-24 and adjoining plains of northwest India during Oct. 23-24.

However, it is unlikely to cause any major spell of rainfall over Uttarakhand.