Uttarakhand cloudburst: 17 people dead, 15 missing; next 48 hours crucial, says IMD

Uttarakhand Chief Minister on Saturday confirmed that at least 17 people have been killed and 15 others are missing after cloudburst that hit Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts on Friday.

“17 people have died till now and 15 are missing. Search operations are underway. Situation is under control, I am monitoring from the rescue control room,” said Rawat.

Earlier on Saturday, two more bodies were recovered taking the death toll to 14. Ten rivers and rivulets were in spate across the state and traffic disrupted on several routes due to landslides.

The MeT department  has warned of heavy rains in isolated places in the state especially Nainital, Udhamsingh Nagar and Champawat districts and the next 48 hours are going to be crucial for Uttarakhand, which was devastated by flash floods that left 6,000 people dead three years ago.

Early monsoon rains wreaked havoc in Uttarakhand in the wee hours yesterday as a series of cloudbursts flattened homes in Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts killing 12 and leaving 17 others trapped under debris with little chances of their survival.

(With inputs from PTI)