Heavy rains hit Uttarakhand, 7 killed

At least seven people were killed following cloudburst and landslides as heavy rains lashed Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts of Uttarakhand, officials said on Friday.

"As many as 30 people have been trapped in the debris following landslides in Bastia village of Kanalichhina block in Pithoragarh district. Bodies of four persons have been recovered by the district administration team with the help of local people," a police official said.

"In Chamoli district, three people have died and four others are missing," he added.

Officials said a cloudburst in Pithoragarh led to severe inundation in the region, causing hardship to people.

Large tracts of agricultural fields were inundated in Suva village of Dharchula area and three bridges linking the village were washed away.

The Thal-Munsyari road was cut-off and dozens of vehicles remained stranded on both sides.

The Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway was disrupted at many places between Nandprayag and Badrinath due to landslides.

The entry of heavy vehicles was halted on the Kedarnath highway following a landslide at Gangolgaon.

All major rivers in the hilly tracts were in spate.

An alert about heavy rains in the next 72 hours has been issued in Nainital, Udhamsingh Nagar, Champawat, Almora, Pauri, Haridwar, Tehri and Dehradun districts.

--IANS

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