Fresh spells of rain trigger death and destruction in Uttarakhand, five dead, several missing – myuttarakhandnews.com | Uttarakhand News in English | Dehradun News Today| News Uttarakhand | Uttarakhand latest news

PIONEEREDGE NEWS SERVICE | Rudraprayag/Chamoli/Tehri/Bageshwar At least five people died and many feared missing in a fresh spell of disaster that struck Uttarakhand in the wee hours of Friday after cloudbursts and heavy rainfall caused widespread damage across Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Tehri and Bageshwar districts. In Chamoli district, a residential building collapsed in Mopata village of Dewal block after a landslide. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of Tara Singh and his wife from the debris. Vikram Singh and his wife sustained injuries and were admitted to Dewal Primary Health Centre. The officials informed that nearly 15 to 20 cattle were buried in the debris. Roads in the area remain blocked and the authorities concerned were carrying out works to restore connectivity till late evening. In Rudraprayag district, a cloudburst occurred in Vasukedar tehsil during the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. The Rudraprayag senior superintendent of police Akshay Prahlad Konde said that one woman died in the Jakholi area and at least eight people went missing. Several houses were damaged and multiple vehicles were buried or washed away in the debris. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) also rescued 40 people in Taljamal and 30 people in Kumd village who were trapped in their houses. Authorities shifted affected families to a nearby primary school, where food and shelter arrangements were made, he said. Police warned residents to stay away from the banks of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers as water levels crossed danger marks on Friday. In Bageshwar district, heavy rain triggered a cloudburst in Paunsari village of Kanlagad valley under Kapkot tehsil. The officials informed that two women, Basanti Devi and Bachuli Devi, died after their house collapsed. Three others, including Ramesh Chandra Joshi, his son Girish Joshi and a relative Puran Chandra Joshi, went missing. Ramesh’s younger son Pawan escaped unhurt. Several livestock deaths were reported and agricultural fields were covered with debris. The Kapkot region recorded more than 100 mm of rainfall. Bageshwar district magistrate Ashish Bhatgain and Kapkot MLA Suresh Gadia also visited the site and assured assistance to the affected families. In Tehri district, a cloudburst occurred in Gewali village under Bhilangna block around 3 PM. Though no human casualties were reported, agricultural land, temples and village infrastructure suffered damage. Two cowsheds collapsed and two temples were buried under debris. Multiple drinking water supply lines, irrigation channels and bridges were damaged in Gewali, Nailchami and nearby areas. Power supply in parts of Nailchami was disrupted too. The officials informed that rescue and relief teams from the SDRF, respective district administrations and disaster management departments continue to operate in affected regions. They claimed that damaged roads and bridges are being cleared on priority to restore access to cut-off villages.