Monsoon fury : Toll 130

FAMOUS KEDARNATH TEMPLE VIRTUALLY SUBMERGED IN MUD

Dehradun/Shimla (PTI): Monsoon rains and unprecedented flash floods continued to spell death and destruction in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, claiming over 130 lives and leaving over 70,000 pilgrims for Himalayan shrines stranded.

The famous hill shrine of Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand bore the brunt of torrential rains and was covered in mud and slush. 50 people died in flash floods and about 500 people, including several pilgrims, are said to missing in the area, according to top government sources.

The death toll may rise significantly once water recedes and relief teams are able to access the affected areas. A portion of the Kedarnath temple compound was washed away but authorities said no damages were reported to the structure itself.

The Ram Bada area, a busy spot near the temple, has been completely submerged and was not visible from rescue choppers. Army Central Command officials said that nearly 6,000 to 8,000 people are stranded in Kedarnath, 2,500 in Hemkund Sahib and around 8,000 in Badrinath.

Flash floods, cloudbursts and landslips have so far claimed 81 lives in northern India. Thousands have been displaced in Uttar Pradesh where several rivers are in spate. The death toll in Uttarakhand has reached 52. A total of 71,440 pilgrims bound for the Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are stranded in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts of Uttarakhand with the famous char dham yatra having been suspended due to massive landslides and damage to the road network.

While 27,040 tourists are stranded in Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi have 25,000 and 9,850 pilgrims from various parts of the country stranded, Disaster Management authorities said. Union Home Secretary R K Singh said food, medicines and blankets were air-dropped in remote areas of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, too, talked to the chief ministers of the two states. "We have provided seven helicopters to Uttarakhand. The state government has also hired four private helicopters. We are providing helicopters to Himachal Pradesh. Hopefully, all stranded people will be evacuated today," he said.

Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who was stranded in Kinnaur district for nearly 60 hours due to landslides, was evacuated in the morning by a chopper hired by his Congress party.

BJP cancels Jail Bharo New Delhi (Agencies): In view of heavy floods in Uttarakhand that left a trail of death and devastation in the hill State killing 37 people and injuring many, BJP on Tuesday postponed its 23 June "Jail Bharo Andolan" in the State. Expressing anguish and concern at the flood situation and the damage it has caused to life and property in Uttarakhand, BJP president Rajnath Singh directed the party's state unit to postpone its proposed agitation in the state.

Yamuna crosses danger mark New Delhi (PTI): People from low-lying areas along the Yamuna were on Tuesday evacuated as the water level in the river crossed the danger mark. The water level of Yamuna crossed the danger mark of 204.83 metres at 1 pm and reached 205.24 metres at 2:30 pm, officials in the Flood and Irrigation department said. They said that the water level in the river is expected to rise further as Haryana has released 1.54 lakh cusecs of water into Yamuna this morning. The city government had started evacuation of people living close to the river bank on Monday.