Zeenews Bureau
Dehradun: Over 36 people were killed and 50 others went missing on Saturday after flash floods battered Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
In the worst-hit Uttarakhand, 34 people, including two children and three firefighters, were killed.
The floods flattened several of homes in Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts of the state. With scores of pilgrims stranded, Chardham yatra has been suspended to all the four shrines.
A cloudburst in the middle of Friday night triggered landslides and flash floods. The cloudburst swept away a dozen bridges and a large chunk of the Gangotri national highway.
The Uttarakhand government has sounded a high alert across the state after the MET department predicted more heavy rains. The state government sought the help of the Army for carrying out the rescue and relief operations. ITBP and state disaster management forces are currently involved in rescue operations.
The Uttarakhand government has launched a manhunt to trace missing people.
In Himachal Pradesh, two people were reportedly killed in flash floods caused by heavy rains in Manali area of Kullu district.
Several vital bridges and large stretches of roads were washed away in the floods caused by heavy rains in Manali.
Border Roads Organisation personnel, with the help of local authorities, were providing relief to the affected people.
In Jammu and Kashmir, water level in Chenab, Tawi, Ujh and Basantar rivers are nearing the danger mark.
Twenty-two people trapped in flash floods in Kathua and Jammu districts were safely rescued by police and locals. A flash flood alert has been sounded in Jammu region.
