PrashantNews
Amid continuing monsoon rains in Uttarakhand, five people including two children were drowned even as 16 pilgrims were rescued from Gangotri area in Uttarkashi district since Friday.
Two children were drowned in different rain-related incidents in Dehradun and Khatima area in Kumaon region on Friday evening. One child was drowned in a khud in Prem Nagar area. In a similar incident, one 15 year old student was drowned in a pond in Haridwar district. One more child was drowned in Khatima area.
Two pilgrims from New Delhi were swept away in swollen nullah last evening on the Gangotri-Gaumukh trek after a bridge built on it collapsed due to the rising water following heavy rains. The two pilgrims have been identified as Suraj and Monu, who were residents of Delhi.
After the collapse of the bridge, nearly 40 pilgrims got stranded in the Gangotri area prompting the district authorities to launch rescue operation. The district authorities have also launched efforts to immediately construct an alternative bridge over the nullah.
A top police official said the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued nearly 16 pilgrims from Gangotri area on Friday. The SDRF is also trying to rescue the remaining pilgrims.
Meanwhile, rains continued to lash across the hill state with water level in rivers and rivulets continuing to rise.
The Met department has issued red alert in Kumoan region for heavy rains and orange alert in Garhwal in the next 1-2 days.