Four deaths have been confirmed and nine people remain missing in the flash flood incident near Uttarakhand's Gaurikund on the Kedarnath Yatra route.
The flash flood incident occurred on Thursday night after heavy rains in the region. Initially, a total of 13 people were reported missing, but subsequently four bodies were recovered on Friday.
The incident happened when a flash flood in rainfed waterfall swept away three shops near Daat Puliya near Gaurikund on the way to Kedarnath, PTI reported official as saying.
The missing people include a family of 'dandi-kandi' (palanquin) operators from Nepal who ferry pilgrims to the Kedarnath temple.
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The shops, located on the banks of a raging Mandakini river, were swept away by the floodwaters coming from above, reports PTI, adding that the flash flood occurred Friday midnight following heavy rains.
Relief and rescue operations were launched by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel, Circle Officer Vimal Rawat told PTI.
Officials told PTI that heavy rains coupled with boulders falling intermittently from the hillsides are hampering relief and rescue efforts.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the Disaster Control room at the secretariat to take stock of the situation, reported PTI, adding that he instructed them to speed up the ongoing relief and rescue work there.
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"He said an alert should be issued at all the places where there is a threat of flood due to an increase in the water levels of rivers and streams and directed officials to evacuate people living in landslide-prone areas," reported PT
