Nine dead as cloudburst strikes U'khand, toll rises to 47

Nine persons were on Sunday killed and five others injured as several houses caved in following a series of cloudbursts in different areas of Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, taking the death toll since Friday to 47.

Cloudbursts struck four villages including Kirorimalla, Timli Badma, Dugur Shemla and Simbal this morning, in which nine persons died and five others were injured, Executive Director of Disaster Management and Mitigation Department Piyush Rautela said.

With these deaths, toll in Rudraprayag district in the last two days went up to 47, whereas, five persons were injured and 23 others still missing, Rautela said.

As calamity struck the region, rescue operations were launched in the presence of senior administrative officials, he said. A house was flattened in the cloudburst at Kirorimalla village in Jalokhi area killing five persons, including three women, he said.

A temple was washed away in the rains triggered by a cloudburst in Timli Badma village of Jalokhi. The priest and his wife were killed in the tragedy, the DMMD official said.

Two persons were killed in the landslide triggered by cloudbursts in two villages -- Dugur Shemla and Simbal – in Ukhimath area of Rudraprayag. Meanwhile, the toll due to the heavy rainfall triggered by a serious of cloudbursts in Ukhimath area on September 14 rose to 38.

Rautela said that 38 bodies have been recovered in the relief operations with the help of the Army and ITBP personnel. Overall, 131 families have been affected by the natural calamity, he added. A team of National Disaster Response Force has already reached the affected areas.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna visited the affected areas on Saturday and assured the people of the required assistance. This monsoon, about 100 persons have been killed in Uttarakhand due to the heavy rainfall and flash-floods, he  said.

A similar tragedy in Uttarkashi district last month had claimed 28 lives and left six missing.