Dehradun, Aug 7 (PTI) Rescue operations gathered pace on Thursday in the disaster-hit Dharali village in Uttarkashi as weather improved and more than 270 people stranded in different locations in the district
were evacuated to safety with the help of IAF's Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters.
The army said 50 civilians are missing besides nine of its personnel including one junior commissioned officer. However, eyewitnesses said the number of missing persons could be even higher.
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.
With a let-up in rain and improvement in weather conditions, helicopters made several sorties during the day to evacuate people who had taken refuge in army camps and neighbouring villages after the disaster.
A team of 69 NDRF rescuers, two cadaver dogs and veterinarians joined rescue operations to look for survivors.
"This is a big disaster and the analysis of the damage is going on. The roads connecting Uttarkashi have been badly damaged. However, our teams are working in the affected areas to rescue the victims," NDRF DIG Gambhir Singh Chauhan told PTI.
A total of 274 people have been brought to Harsil, Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said.
Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya said 275 people from Harsil, Gangotri and Jhala have been sent to Matli helipad from where they are being sent to their respective destinations.
These include people from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Karnataka, Telangana and Punjab, he said.
One of the rescued tourists, Bhupendra Singh Mehta, recalled how the flash floods washed away everything in sight.
"We were asleep when the flash floods hit. We woke up to people shouting, 'run, run'. Everything around our homestay was washed away and the debris had come up to our window on the second floor. We jumped from the second floor and managed to crawl to a bridge and save ourselves," he said.
Another rescued tourist, Chandan, said, "We saw people buried under the debris at 15-20 locations."
Garhwal division's Inspector General of Police Rajeev Swaroop said 35 people were brought to the Jolly Grant airport from the disaster-affected areas of Uttarkashi in a Chinook helicopter this afternoon.
Heavy rain in Uttarkashi over the past few days hampered search and rescue operations. Many roads in the district are still blocked or broken by landslide debris at several points.
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, in close coordination with other authorities, ramped up Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in Dharali and nearby Harsil. The region remains cut off due to multiple landslides and road breaches. equipment which were held up at different locations due to blocked roads are being airlifted to the spot.
A VSAT equipment was airlifted to Matli which has to be installed in Harsil to improve internet connectivity in the area.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who is camping in Uttarkashi since Wednesday to keep a close eye on the rescue operations, Thursday met women whose loved ones are missing after the disaster.
"I met the sisters affected by the Dharali disaster and felt the pain hidden in their tears. I salute their courage in this difficult time," he said in a post on Facebook.
"I assured them that we all stand with them in this hour of crisis, relief and rescue work will continue until every person trapped there is safely evacuated. Every need is being met on a priority basis."
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, the army said added.
Road access is severely disrupted at multiple locations, including Bartwari, Linchigad, near Harsil, Gangnani and Dharali. Civilian and military teams are working round the clock to rescue stranded people, provide relief and restore connectivity, it said.
The military helipad in Harsil and another in Nelong are operational and connected by road to Gangotri, enabling convenient movement of tourists. A civil helipad in Dharali remains non-functional due to a mudslide.
According to the Army, more than 225 troops, including engineers, medical teams, and rescue specialists, are on the ground. Search and rescue dogs have also been deployed.
One Reeco Radar team is in Tekla village and another Reeco Radar is being inducted for further deployment, the release said.
Five civil helicopters from Sahastradhara have been operating between Matli, Bhatwari and Harsil for the rescue operations in coordination with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
An action plan has been prepared for the next two days hours. It includes airlifting para troops and medical teams to Harsil by Chinook helicopters and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and medics to Nelong by Mi-17 helicopters, road opening ahead of Uttarkashi and Tekla, and evacuation of tourists from Nelong helipad on return sorties. PTI ALM ZMN
