As rescue operations in the flash floods-ravaged Uttarkashi entered the third day on Thursday, the Army said 70 people have been rescued so far and more than 50 are missing.According to officials, at least four people have been killed in the disaster that struck the ecologically fragile area on Tuesday afternoon. Rescuers recovered two bodies on Wednesday, but it was not clear if these were among the four deaths reported the previous day.
The district administration said 65 people who were stranded at different locations were airlifted to Matli town, 432 km from here, on Thursday.
Efforts were also stepped up to airlift advanced equipment to the worst-hit Dharali village to speed up the search for those trapped under the rubble, officials said.
The Indian Army said its troops reached Dharali within 15 minutes of the tragedy. It ramped up Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the Himalayan village and nearby Harsil. The region remains cut off due to multiple landslides and road breaches.
Seventy civilians have been rescued so far and more than 50 are missing, the Army said in an official release issued here.
Nine Army personnel — one junior commissioned officer and eight jawans — are also reported missing, it said.
Nine Army personnel and three civilians were evacuated to Dehradun by helicopter. Three critically injured civilians were shifted to AIIMS Rishikesh and eight were admitted to the Uttarkashi district hospital, it added.