Uttarakhand cloudburst kills 12; 25 go missing

Torrential rains and landslides because of a cloudburst have killed as many as 12 people, while 25 others have gone missing from Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts. Several villages were buried in mud and many residents are reported to be trapped under the debris.

SDM Chamoli SK Barnwal told TOI that eight persons trapped in the debris have been rescued so far.

Because of the cloudburst in Singhali area of Pithorgarh, the district registered over 100 mm rainfall in two hours in a region of 50 squrae kilometre, which led to several homes being washed away.

Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat expressed grief over the loss of these lives and announced Rs two lakhs as compensation to their families.

Yesterday, the MeT department of Dehradun had issued a warning of heavy rains in isolated places in Uttarakhand especially Nainital, Udhamsingh Nagar and Champawat districts.

Image source | File photo for representational purpose only