U'khand cloudbursts: Rajnath condoles loss of lives, assures Centre's assistance

Expressing profound grief over the loss of lives due heavy rains and cloudbursts in several districts of Uttarakhand, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday assured that several National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been rushed aid the state to tackle the calamity.

The Home Minister took to micro-blogging site Twitter to express his grief.

"I am deeply pained at loss of precious lives in Uttarakhand due to flash floods. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.NDRF teams have been rushed to the areas affected by could burst in Uttarakhand. Additional teams of NDRF are also put on alert," Singh said in series of tweets.

"Spoke to CM U'khand Shri Harish Rawat regarding the situation post the cloud burst in the state. Centre is providing all possible assistance," he added.

Heavy rains triggered by cloudbursts led to the deaths of 30 people in Chamoli and Pithoragarh. Cloudburst in Chamoli washed away houses in Gopeshwar on the banks of river Mandakini.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Harish Rawat announced a compensation of Rs two lakh each to families of the victims.

Rawat said he was personally monitoring the situation and added that disaster management teams and security personnel have already been asked to reach the sites to carry out rescue works and ensure safety of locals.