Monsoon rains have wreaked fresh havoc in northern India leading to flash floods, cloudbursts and landslips as the death toll climbed to 81 and over eight lakh people displaced in the Gangetic plain comprising Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and some damages in Himachal Pradesh. Flash floods, cloudbursts and landslips have claimed 52 lives in Uttarakhand while damaging 175 houses across the state. Toll could rise manifold as there were many areas where rescue teams are yet to reach. Rudraprayag was the worst hit with 20 people reported dead and 73 buildings, including 40 hotels, along the banks of the Alaknanda swept away in the swirling waters of the river. A total of 71,440 pilgrims bound for the Himalayan Shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are stranded in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi Districts of Uttarakhand with the famous Char Dham Yatra having been suspended due to massive damage to the road network. While 27,040 devotees are stranded in Chamoli; Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi have 25,000 and 9,850 stranded pilgrims, Disaster Management authorities said. More than a dozen helicopters have been deployed in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for relief and rescue operations with officials saying that all stranded people are expected to be evacuated soon.
