Uttarkashi cloudburst: ITBP conducts search ops for missing people in Tikochi, Arakot

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) conducted search and rescue operation for missing people in Tikochi and Arakot village, following a cloudburst and heavy rainfall in the area.

The ITBP conducted the operation in Tikochi and Arakot village, Uttarkashi district on the banks of river Tons today morning.

According to the Secretary (Incharge) Disaster Management, S A Murugesan, 17 people were reported dead in the cloudburst in Mori tehsil as on Monday.

According to ITBP, one body has been recovered under the debris.

Tikochi is the transportation point for goods' vehicles from where local apple is loaded for further supplies. As many as 10 vehicles were reportedly stationed when the cloudburst occurred. It is said that the staff were sleeping inside the vehicles when the landslide and sudden flash flood struck. While four vehicles are reportedly expected to be trapped inside the debris, two vehicles were washed away and yet to be traced.

Indian Air Force chopper took off from Jollygrant for Mori block in Uttarkashi carrying food material today morning.

For relief and rescue operation in the affected areas of Mori Tehsil of the district, the state government had pressed two helicopters into action that reached the village with communication equipment and ropes on Monday morning. Makuri, Tikochi, Arakot are the most affected villages in Mori area. The Relief teams were facing problem reaching the area due to damaged roads, an official said.

Medical teams are currently operating in Arokot from Naugaon and Purola areas to deal with the medical emergencies.

The administration is also distributing relief material in the area and has started working to restore a bridge and wireless tower to resume communication in the region, an official said.

On Sunday, police had recovered bodies of six people including a Nepali national in the border area of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarkashi.

A cloudburst had hit Mori Tehsil in Uttarkashi district on Sunday, prompting the state government to dispatch teams of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to carry out rescue and evacuation operations.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted widespread rainfall over the next few days in Uttarkashi. All schools in Tehri, including government and private, will remain shut on Monday.

( With inputs from ANI )