Incessant rain hampers rescue work in Uttarakhand: Army

Incessant rain and bad weather have hampered rescue and relief work in Uttarakhand which was badly hit by a cloudburst and flooding, the Army said on Saturday.

"Rain and bad weather continues to hamper rescue and relief work. Dog squads and additional medical teams are on standby, ready to be inducted as soon as the weather permits," the Army said.

At least 14 bodies have been recovered so far from the debris in villages which were hit by rains due to the cloudburst and resultant landslide. As many as 39 people were feared dead on Friday in the incident that occurred in six villages of Chamoli and Pithoragarh districts.

The road leading to the affected site remained blocked due to landslides at several places, making the task of evacuation difficult, an Army spokesperson said.

"The Army, in coordination with the civil administration, has established a relief centre at Shinghali village in proximity to the affected sites," it added.

On Friday, the Army continued to operate till late at night along with the State Disaster Response Force to look for survivors. Nine bodies were recovered during the search.

"Search operation has resumed and one more body was recovered from the debris," said the Army spokesperson.

More than 60 houses were flattened due to incessant rain in the region on Friday.

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

--IANS

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