Heavy rains kill 6 people in Uttarakhand

Dehradun: In Uttarakhand, torrential rains caused home collapses, flooding, and rising water levels in many of the state's rivers, resulting in six deaths and as many injuries, including three members of a family, officials reported on Thursday.

A mother and her child have been missing in Devchauli, Chamoli district, since Wednesday evening following the collapse of a house. They have stated that a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team has been dispatched to the scene.

Nearly a dozen four-wheelers parked along the riverbed of the Sukhi in Haridwar's Kharkhari area were washed away following torrential rain on Wednesday evening.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the SDRF and the administration have been deployed in affected areas of the state, the officials said.

Disaster Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said 200 passengers stranded on the Kedarnath route due to falling stones and the washing away of a 20-25 meter footpath near the Bhimbali Chowki have been moved to safer places.

In Bharpur village in the Bahadarabad area of Haridwar district, three people were killed and as many injured after a house collapsed due to heavy rain, police said.

Three members of a family -- Bhanu Prasad (50), his wife Neelam Devi (45) and son Vipin (28) -- were killed in a landslide following a cloudburst in Jakhanyali village of Tehri district's Ghansali area, the officials said.

Vipin was rescued but died while he was being taken to the AIIMS in Rishikesh, Tehri District Disaster Management Officer Brijesh Bhatt said.

In Kharkhari, a truck carrying rations and essentials for a group of kanwariyas was among the vehicles washed away.

No one was there in the truck when the incident took place on Wednesday.

Roads were submerged in many areas of Haridwar and the rainwater also entered the Kankhal police station.

Many colonies and markets of Bhupatwala, Haridwar, Naya Haridwar, Kankhal and Jwalapur also got flooded.

A house collapsed due to heavy rain in Talla village of Pithoragarh district.

Three more houses in the village were damaged.

There was no loss of human life in the two incidents.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has spoken to the disaster management secretary and taken updates on the affected areas and relief and rescue measures.

In accordance with the instructions issued by the chief minister, teams of the district administration, NDRF and SDRF are on alert.

Dhami has appealed to people to leave their homes only when necessary.

"The safety of people and visitors coming to the state is our top priority," he said.

With PTI inputs