DEHRADUN: Nine people have died in rain and landslide-related disasters and accidents in the last 24 hours. On the other hand, there is an atmosphere of panic among the villagers as the water level of Tehri Lake reached 816 meters.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on Thursday recovered two more bodies in the Gaurikund landslide. According to information received from the Tehri district disaster management office, "There is also a danger of floods in New Tehri.
The water level of the lake, spread over 42 sq km, has reached 816 meters, in case the lake is filled up to 830 meters, the potential risk of landslides has increased in many villages situated on the banks of the lake.
According to information received from police sources, "The car of four youths going towards their home from Gumkhal Market in Pauri area fell into a deep ditch due to bad road and rain. SDRF personnel entered into a deep gorge through a very inaccessible road in the dark of night and reached the crashed vehicle. Three people in the vehicle died on the spot, while a search is on for the fourth missing person. The deceased have been identified as Chandramohan Singh (62), Dinesh Singh (63), and Kamal Singh (45).
In Rishikesh's 'Khara Spring' area, most of the houses were flooded due to the rise in the water level following excessive rains, after which the SDRF team reached the spot in the dark of night in extremely adverse conditions and took quick action and evacuated about 50 people from the submerged houses and shifted them to a safe place by raft.
"Due to incessant rains, a wall collapsed near Chaurasi Kutia in the Laxman Jhula area in which two persons were buried, following which the body of an 84-year-old man named Gajanan, a resident of Rajasthan, was recovered during a thorough search by the SDRF," SDRF Inspector Kavinder Sajwan told this newspaper.
A 12-year-old girl died after water suddenly entered her house in Majrigrant, a gram panchayat of Doiwala in Dehradun district on Wednesday night, police said.
Ajay Kohli, the father of 12-year-old Akanksha, said, "Water suddenly entered the house at night, due to which the adjacent house collapsed and our house was submerged in water". "Since June 1, the SDRF has rescued 1,226 people in various incidents, along with 132 bodies," SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra told The New Indian Express, adding , "At the same time, 18 people are still missing in the Gaurikund landslide accident".
According to disaster management office sources, "In the last two months since June 1, 148 people have lost their lives due to drowning in rivers and streams and other natural disasters." Many people have also gone missing, whose search is going on. From June to September last year, 244 people lost their lives.