Uttarakhand rains: 14 bodies pulled out from villages flattened by cloudburst

The Gangotri Dham Yatra has also been temporarily suspended due to flooding on the highway

At least 14 bodies have been recovered so far from the debris in villages which were buried in a cloud burst in Uttarakhand, police said on Saturday.

As many as 39 people were feared dead on Friday in the incident that occurred in six villages of Chamoli and Pithoragarh districts, the police said.

The maximum damage was inflicted on Basted village where at least 30 people were feared to be trapped in the debris.

More than 60 houses were flattened due to the cloud burst after incessant rains in the region. As many as 200 cattle have reportedly died in the villages.

Officials said more than 100 mm rains were recorded in just two hours, leading to flooding of most of the rivers in the hill state.

A senior official of the disaster management team said the rescue operations were hampered due to inclement weather.

Several teams of the State Disaster Response Force, para-military forces and Army rescue teams were stranded on way to the disaster-struck areas. All means of communication in the area have also collapsed.

Meanwhile, the Gangotri Dham Yatra has been suspended following flooding on the highway leading to the piligrimage spot. 

The Chamba-Rishikesh National Highway-94 has also been blocked in Bemunda due to landslide. Efforts are on to remove debris.