207 killed, 50,000 stranded in Indian monsoon floods

At least 207 people have been killed while 50,000 others, mostly pilgrims, are still stranded in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, which was badly hit by monsoon floods on Sunday, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said on Friday.

"Some 207 people are confirmed dead in floods. We have evacuated more than 34,000 people but some 50,000 people are still stranded there. Efforts are being made to rescue the stranded people in Uttarakhand," the home minister said in state capital Dehraduns.

Floods and landslides, triggered by heavy rainfall, hit northern India on Sunday, with Uttarakhand being the worst affected state where hundreds of buildings were washed away. And those killed included local residents as well as pilgrims visiting the state.

Rakesh Sharma, a state official, said the death toll might run into the thousands, but the exact figure will not be known until the entire region is checked.

The minister, who is to visit the flood-hit areas on Saturday, said the death toll could rise further, though rains have stopped in the state famous for its several pilgrimage spots.

The Indian military has been continuing its rescue operations.

The Indian Air Force dropped paratroopers, food and medicine for people trapped in up to 100 towns and villages cut off by monsoon rains and landslides.

While it has deployed advanced light helicopters to reach the difficult terrains of the hilly state and evacuated over 1,500 people on Friday morning, the Indian Army has deployed more than 8,000 of its troops working alongside paramilitary forces.

"The Indian Air Force has committed 13 more aircraft. The total number of aircraft pressed into service is now 43. It is also activating landing grounds at two more places," Indian Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said.

Xinhua-AP

(China Daily 06/22/2013 page7)