2 washed away in flash floods in Uttarakhand

Two persons were washed away in flash floods in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand following heavy rains, even as the relief works were in full swing in the flood-hit Uttarkashi district.

All the 158 stranded people have been airlifted from different parts of the district with the help of MI-17 helicopters, District Magistrate Uttarkashi R Rajesh Kumar told PTI.

A woman and her daughter were washed away in flash floods at Silkuna village in Bageshwar district on Saturday night following heavy rains.

The bodies Kavita Devi (28) and Komal (5) have been recovered.

With the two deaths, at least 33 persons have been killed in the state and scores have been rendered homeless.

So far, 28 deaths have been reported from Uttarkashi district alone, while three were killed in Chamoli district of Garhwal region after heavy floods devastated the region on

August 4.

On Saturday, MI-17 helicopters airlifted nearly 44 pilgrims from Harsil area. So far, nearly 158 people had been airlifted from Uttarkashi, stranded after the Uttarkashi-Gangotri highway was cut-off due to the flooding.

A total of 8 relief camps have been set up in the district where 545 affected people are being kept and a satellite phone has been set up at Gajoli area for better coordination of relief works, officials said.

The district administration is providing relief materials like food, kerosene, LPG gas to the affected people.