IAF choppers fly people to clean Kedarnath temple premises

The Indian Air Force (IAF) today flew 70 civil administration personnel to the Kedarnath temple premises to clean the surroundings there after the area was ravaged by the recent flash floods in Uttarakhand.

'A total of of 70 personnel have been inducted at Kedarnath for cleaning of temple surroundings by the IAF choppers,' a Defence Ministry release said here.

The eighth century shrine at Kedarnath withstood the cloudbursts and floods that swept away its neighbourhood and much of the town last month.

After evacuating all the people stranded in the upper reaches of the hill state, the IAF is in the process of evacuating the locals who want to move out.

The IAF has pulled out majority of its assets deployed in the relief operations in the state but is maintaining 10 choppers there including world's largest Mi-26 transport helicopter along with Mi-17s and ALH Dhruvs.

In the last 24 hours, the Ministry said the IAF has evacuated around 310 and overall, so far, rescued 20,712 people using its helicopter fleet.

The Army is continuing to maintain the troop level at 8,000 in the region for the relief operations. It has been maintaining this strength since June 18 when the armed forces were inducted into the state.