At least eight persons were reported to have died in Pauri and Uttarkashi districts following heavy rainfall and landslide in the last two days.
Cumulative loss of human lives since June 1 is being reported to be 89 human deaths with 72 persons sustaining injuries and five being reported missing.
In Pauri district, a double-storeyed residential building housing two families in Merkhola village collapsed following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, killing seven and injuring two of the family members. The rainfall turned heavy at about 4 PM on the weekend with the spell lasting about three hours accompanied by thunder and lightening.
‘On receiving information, the senior superintendent of police Nivedita Kukreti Kumar, additional district magistrate Ramji Sharan reached the site on foot due to a fallen tree blocking the Pauho-Chapriyon road to traffic. The sub divisional magistrate Pl Shah, Tehsildar and State Disaster Response Force personnel also arrived at the site and were able to rescue two injured persons from the rubble of the collapsed house apart from recovering five bodies at about 11:45 PM. The team had to work longer searching for the bodies of two of the occupants which could be recovered on Sunday morning. The SSP informed that apart from recovering bodies of the victims, the two injured
persons- 13 years old Shubham and Deep Singh were admitted to the Paubo hospital for treatment.
According to information from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), on Saturday evening at about 4:30 PM in Uttarkashi district, six-year old girl Sakshi Gusain died in a landslide at Simudi Tok. The district authorities inform that the Rishikesh-Gangotri national highway number 108 is blocked to traffic near Chadethi Bhatwadi, Mandakini Nala and Harshil. The Rishikesh-Yamunotri national highway number 94 is open for big and small vehicles upto Janakichatti. Apart from this, a total of 13 motor roads are reported to be blocked to traffic in the district.
In the Pratapnagar Tehsil of Tehri district, heavy rainfall on Saturday damaged a cowshed causing the death of two bovines at Gadhsinwal Kothlagaon. One home being partially damaged following heavy rainfall was also reported from Ghansali Tehsil.
The Ghansali-Koti-Akhori state highway is blocked to traffic, apart from which nine motor roads in the district are closed to traffic. In the Rudraprayag district, the Rishikesh-Kedarnath national highway number 109 is blocked near Doliyadevi temple while the Gaurikund-Kedarnath bridle path was open for movement.