Winds blow away rooftops, uproot trees in Chamoli

Two pilgrims were injured as heavy rains accompanied by high-speed winds lashed Chamoli district of Uttarakhand today blowing away rooftops and uprooting trees.

Two pilgrims from Gujarat,who were eating at a roadside eatery, were injured when branches of atree fell over them under the impact of a squall near Chetrapal village, revenue department official S L Rangad said.

They were rushed to a hospital nearby, he said.

A tree fell on a residential building in the Kund colony in Gopeshwar and another on the road near Aapda Bhawan disrupting traffic, he said.

High-speed winds also uprooted trees near PG college, Gopeshwar, he said adding that even traffic was blocked in some areas.

However, all the roads in Gopeshwar and nearby areas were opened for traffic later, he said.

Roofs of some houses in the Jal Nigam colony of Gopeshwar were blown away by the high speed winds, Rangad said adding an electric pole was also uprooted close to the GREF campnear Pipalkoti blocking the road for sometime.