Uttarakhand: 6 dead, jawan missing after cloudburst on Mansarovar route

Six persons were killed while an Army jawan is missing after two separate cloudbursts in Dharchula sub division of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand early on Monday.

According to district administration sources, the first incident occurred at Mangti Nullah near Tawaghat in Dharchula sub division when the local rivulet Mangti Nullah overflowed due to heavy rains at its basin and hit some shops and an Army camp below the nullah.

The Army, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams have recovered two bodies form the spot while an Army jawan is missing, said Ashish Chauhan, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh.

The second cloudburst occurred at Malpa, where an overflowing local rivulet swept away four persons.

Disaster mitigation teams later recovered four bodies while one person has been saved.

"We have pressed into service rescue and rehabilitation personnel from NDRF and SDRF beside ITBP and Army jawans and a massive search operation has been launched to trace the missing," said R S Rana, district disaster management officer in Pithoragarh district.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has been halted due to the floods and landslide caused by the cloudburst on the route.

Two bridges were damaged in Mangti and one in Simkhola districts.

Water level of the river Kali has been continuously rising and reached the danger level, which can also disrupt the pilgrimage.

Additionally, a road was blocked at Ailagad, leading to the termination of the Yatra.

Search and rescue operations are underway.

With inputs and photograph from ANI