Rain wreaks havoc in Uttarakhand, 20 dead

Dehradun: At least 20 people were killed in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as heavy showers wreaked havoc in the hill states even as humid conditions prevailed in most parts of north India on Friday.

The heavy rains in Uttarakhand, including in the state capital, flooded several roads cutting off nearly 250 residents of a village in Pauri district from the rest of the state and brought the water level in Ganga just half a metre down the danger mark at 340 metres at Ram Jhula in Rishikesh.

Fourteen casualties were reported in Pauri, two persons died in a landslip in Kishanpur area on the outskirts of Dehradun and one drowned in an overflowing rain-fed stream in Pithoragarh district, officials said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said, "We have sent a helicopter. Our first aim is to clear roads and assure people there that they are not alone." Met department said, "We had given the warning that from 14th there will be heavy rains. Areas near river are dangerous. 25-30 per cent houses near such areas will be washed away."

While Dehradun recorded a maximum 120 mm of rainfall. In Himachal Pradesh, incessant heavy monsoon rains, mostly in parts of Hamirpur and Una, disrupted normal life. Four members of family including two minors were swept away by swirling waters of Kuhana Khud in Hamirpur, while another was buried in a landslide. Police also recovered the body of an unidentified youth.

A two-and-a-half-year old girl went missing after she was washed away by a swollen rivulet in Sainre village. The rains triggered landslides at various places and over 200 roads were blocked due to it along with road breaches. Bangana in Una district was wettest in the region as it recorded 160 mm of rains.