'Roads, houses, vehicles were swept away within minutes'

Pilgrims returning home from Uttarakhand share harrowing tales

Shattered and still tense from their harrowed experience, over 100 pilgrims reached here today on two state owned buses from flood ravaged areas around the Sikh shrine of Hemkunt Sahib in Uttarakhand.

The pilgrims were received at the bus terminal here by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

"Our government is prepared to render all help to the people of Uttarakhand," Badal said adding, the tragedy was not limited to Uttarakhand, but for the entire country.

When his attention was drawn towards the state government chopper idly stationed at Dehradun in the hours of crisis, he said, "it becomes difficult for pilots to fly due to inclement weather."

14-year-old Jeetender Singh from Moga, who was among the pilgrims to reach here, said, "I just remember water rising in the area around Hemkunt Sahib within minutes."

"I saw of vehicles swept by the flow of water...Vehicles full of pilgrims," the shattered teenager said.

The work of Army personnel in the relief and rescue operations drew full appreciation from the pilgrims.

"At times Army soldiers even gave us their uniforms when we felt cold at night," recalled Gurpal Singh from Sunam.

"When water started rising, I along with some others climbed on the higher reaches of a hill," he said adding, "we walked at least 15 km to reach a Army camp."

There was complete darkness at night as generator sets ran out of fuel, another pilgrim Jaswant Singh said, while sharing his experience.

"I had gone to pay obeisance at Hemkunt Sahib along with others. Suddenly it started raining and an announcement was made from loudspeakers of the shrine asking people not to venture out.

"Within minutes the entire area was full of water...It was a hard task to climb the rocks to beat the surging water.

"All roads, houses, shops and vehicles were swept away within minutes," a still tensed Singh said.