At least 42 die as rains batter Uttarakhand; many feared trapped

Nainital cut off from state; many feared trapped

Uttarakhand reported at least 42 rain-related deaths on Tuesday with many people still trapped under the rubble after landslides, while Uttar Pradesh saw four fatalities, even as heavy downpours in Kerala filled several dams to the brim and left multiple districts on alert.

“5 missing in #uttarakhandrains. Rs 4 lakh compensation to the families of the deceased, those who lost their houses will be given Rs 1.09 lakh,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told news agency ANI.

Five deaths were reported on Monday. Eleven deaths in rain related-incidents were reported on Tuesday.

Of the fresh deaths, at least 18 were reported from Nainital, three from Almora and one each from Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar districts.

Nainital was cut off from the rest of the state with three roads leading to the popular tourist spot blocked due to a series of landslides. The NDRF has deployed 15 teams in the state and has rescued over 300.

3 shutters of dam in Idukki opened

Shutters of Cheruthoni dam, of the Idukki reservoir in Kerala, were opened to create more storage capacity in anticipation of the heavy rainfall predicted in its catchment area over the next two days. (PTI)