20 still missing after Uttarakhand landslide, admin deploys drones
The teams involved in the search operation have now branched out to Srinagar Dam area, which is 100km downstream from the site of landslide, said the officials
The search and rescue operation for 20 missing people, who were washed away in the Mandakini river after a landslide along the Kedarnath yatra route near Gaurikund on Thursday, continued on Sunday, even as underwater sonar systems and drones are now being used in the process, officials said.
The teams involved in the search operation have now branched out to Srinagar Dam area, which is 100km downstream from the site of landslide, said the officials. A total of 23 people, including 17 Nepalese nationals, have been affected in the incident, with officials recovering three bodies from the debris on Friday. The deceased were identified as Devi Bahadur, Prakash Tamta and Tek Bahadur, all Nepalese.
According to the officials, underwater sonar systems in addition to drones are being used to track the bodies in muddy waters.
State disaster response force (SDRF) media in-charge Lalita Negi said,“As of now, there has been no trace of any victim in the river in over 60 hours of our search operation.”
She said, “The search operation has been expanded to multiple areas along the river. One of the teams is searching the Srinagar Dam, which is 100km downstream from the landslide-hit site in Gaurikund on the presumption that the victims may have washed away to a far distance due to the strong current of Mandakini river, which has been in spate since Thursday evening”.
“Our teams are also using underwater sonar systems to trace the victims, however, they haven’t been much effective due to the strong current of water. Drones are also being used in the process,” she said.
Negi said they have also urged the local residents to contact SDRF control room in case of any information on the victims.
In addition to National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and SDRF personnel, police and fire service teams from Rudraprayag and Pauri Garhwal have also joined in the search operations, said an official.
Rudraprayag disaster management officer NK Rajwar said the search operation on Sunday restarted around 6.30am.
“The rescue team — comprising 20 personnel from the NDRF, 21 from SDRF, and 11 from Rudraprayag district disaster response force (DDRF) — is facing difficulties in the search operation due to intermittent rain, which causes boulder fall sometimes,” said Rajwar.
