Over 200 stranded as bridge washes away after heavy rain in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh
Flash floods in Uttarakhand have left hundreds stranded as a bridge washed away and debris accumulated in Pithoragarh district.
Over 200 people including tourists were trapped after floods and landslides hit the Dhauli river area in Darma in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district on Friday. A massive flash flood washed away the village’s only footbridge and trolley bridge, reported news agency PTI. The SDRF team has reached the spot for the rescue operation.
As the bridge washed away and debris got accumulated, hundreds of locals were stranded. As per the visual, the locals were seen making their way against the strong flow of water.
Read here: Monsoon surge likely over north India from July 9: IMD
Divesh Shashni, sub-divisional magistrate Dharchula said it is not a cloud burst, but heavy rain in the area which has led to the situation. “The district administration has sent a team to repair the trolley bridge. It could take a week to get a new trolley bridge in position in the area."
Earlier this week, two people were killed in rain-related incidents as heavy rains lashed various parts of Uttarakhand amid an orange alert' issued by the weather agency. Incessant rain triggered landslides, blocking a number of roads, while the water level has risen in several rivers, including the Ganges.
Read here: Morning rain brings traffic to crawl in Delhi-NCR, more showers likely today
Meanwhile, the Badrinath national highway near Chhinka has been blocked due to boulders falling from the hill on Friday. It was previously also shut down due to incessant rainfall in Chamoli.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow warning of heavy rains, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places in the plains, low and mid hills till July 9. Heavy rainfall is likely to continue in Uttarakhand, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Gujarat regions for the next five days, it said.
