Odisha mourns deaths in Himalayan catastrophe

Odisha government today mourned the death of more than 800 people in flood and landslides in Uttarakhand, official sources said.
The members of the State Level Natural Calamity Committee headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik held a two minute silent prayer here, which was also attended by leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh of Congress and MPs of different parties.
"The silent prayer was held as a mark of respect to the departed souls who passed away in Uttarakhand," said Revenue and Disaster Management minister S N Patro.
Patro said above 300 people from Odisha have been rescued from the calamity-hit Himalayan state.

Earlier, the state government had announced Rs 5 crore donation for disaster-hit Uttarakhand. Patnaik had also held a telephonic conversation with his Uttarakhand counterpart Vijay Kumar Bahuguna.
Meanwhile, 18 more pilgrims from Odisha have been safely evacuated in Uttarakhand and are at different stages on way to the state, official sources said.
Of them, nine persons are on their way by road from Badrinath to Rishikesh and Haridwar, while nine others have left Haridwar by train for Asansol for onward travel to Cuttack on their own arrangement.
Altogether 347 people from Odisha had earlier returned safe from Uttarakhand after the recent catastrophe there, the sources added.