128 more rescued in Uttarkashi, Army builds bridge over Bhagirathi river to speed up evacuation

Uttarkashi: Sniffer dogs nosed their way through high piles of rubble, drones circled overhead and rescue personnel searched for the missing through the sludge in disaster-hit Dharali on Friday, day four since raging waters buried half the village and left scores missing.

According to official data, 128 people were rescued by Friday noon. With this, a total of 566 people have been rescued since Tuesday, when torrents of mud swallowed homes, hotels and cars.

Officials have said four people were killed in the flash floods. Two bodies were recovered on Wednesday.

The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) said 16 people, including nine Army personnel and seven civilians, are missing.

According to residents of nearby villages, like Mukhba, who witnessed the disaster, the number of missing is likely to be higher as locals and labourers from Bihar and Nepal were working at under-construction hotels and there were guests in about two dozen big hotels in Dharali when the disaster struck.

Dharali is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates, abounding in hotels, homestays, restaurants and guest houses.

The USDMA said more than 800 rescue personnel drawn from the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police are engaged in the rescue operations on the ground.

Sniffer dogs and radars are being used to search for survivors and detect bodies buried under the huge mounds of debris.

A total of 566 people have been rescued so far, including 128 who were brought to the ITBP's helipad in Matli, 432 km from the state capital of Dehradun, on Friday, the officials said.

The ITBP airlifted people stranded in Harsil, with some of the injured being carried into helicopters on stretchers.

To speed up rescue operations, the Army built a bridge over the Bhagirathi river in the district.

"Today we have established a bridge over the Bhagirathi river, using which the injured and stranded tourists are being evacuated safely," an Army official said.

To help people contact their family members, the Army activated its communication networks, including satellite and radio relay systems.

Many of those rescued made brief calls to their family members, letting them know they were safe.

Lt Gen D G Mishra said efforts are on to get the stranded tourists out of Gangotri.

"With the aid of the civil administration, civil helicopters and the Indian Air Force, we have been able to pull out approximately 355 people from Harsil to Matli, south of Uttarkashi, from where the Uttarkhand government is sending them down to Dehradun," he said.

"Our present focus remains on ensuring that we have road connectivity between Uttarkashi, Harsil and Dharali. Secondly, we are also trying to get mobile connectivity and electricity to the villagers north of Harsil, which is an immediate necessity," he said.

Lt Gen Mishra said the Army has moved in medical supplies and deployed its resources.

"All people who have been affected by this incident are being provided medical assistance," he said.

Advanced equipment required to dredge through the debris in Dharali to search for the missing is being flown to the spot in helicopters.

Two Chinook helicopters, two Mi-17s of the Indian Air Force and eight choppers of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority have been deployed.

Rummaging through the debris is an uphill task as the rubble heaps are 50-60 feet high at several places.

With roads breached at various points, the thrust is on air support both for the evacuation of the stranded people and transporting food supplies and other essentials to the affected areas, an NDRF official said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who has been camping in Uttarkashi since Wednesday to keep a close eye on the rescue operations, reached Dharali and interacted with locals and NDRF personnel in the village.

Earlier in the day, he met ITBP DG, NDRF DG, Uttarakhand Police DGP and other officials to take stock of relief and rescue operations.

"Reviewed the relief and rescue operations going on in Dharali in Uttarkashi this morning," he said in a Facebook post.

"We are trying to evacuate all the affected people safely and restore normal life as soon as possible," he said.

Necessary guidelines have been given to the officials on the restoration of roads, communication, electricity and food supply, he added.

With the help of Heli Seva, Mi-17 and Chinook helicopters, rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing since morning and people are being brought back safely, the CM said.

Dhami said the central government is providing full cooperation for the rescue efforts.

He also announced that he has decided to contribute a month's salary towards disaster relief operations in Uttarkashi. He also appealed to public representatives, officials, voluntary organisations and common citizens to make monetary contributions to the ongoing relief work in the disaster-hit areas of the district according to their capacity.

Dhami said the state government stands with the affected people at every step and that everyone should come together and help the victims in this difficult situation.