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Stranded Sikh devotees being shifted to a safe place from Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli district of Uttrakhand by Indo-Tibetan border police personnel on June 17, 2013, following landslips caused by incessant rain. (Photo: PTI) |
Flash floods in the river Ganges and its tributaries in the north-eastern hill state of Uttarakhand led to landslides and house collapses killing 40 people since Sunday, state-run Doordarshan television channel reported.
More than 20,000 tourists and pilgrims were reported stranded across the state as swollen rivers damaged roads and swept away bridges, and landslides blocked several highways.
At least 15 people were killed in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh state in the foothills of the Himalayas.
The army was called out to assist in rescue operations in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh state, where 10 people were killed in landslides and house collapses.
All road connections to Kinnaur, on the border with China’s Tibet region, were blocked by landslides and over 1,700 people including 25 foreign tourists were stranded.
Heavy rains from the annual monsoon which arrived almost a fortnight early also flooded parts of Haryana state.
The meteorological department has predicted heavy showers in northern India over the next two days.
India’s monsoon usually lasts from June to September.
Link: Hemkund Sahib updates on Facebook
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