3 killed, 9 missing after cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh

New delhi date. 20 July 2020, Monday

A number of houses have collapsed due to cloudburst in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. Many houses were crushed as debris fell from the mountain and at the same time there are reports of many people being stranded with the flow of water. The disaster has claimed three lives and left nine missing. The meteorological department has forecast heavy rains for the next two days.

The catastrophe was widespread in Taga village of Munsyari and Gela village of Bangapani after heavy rains on Sunday night. Several houses were demolished in Jotjota and three people were killed while three others were injured when they were crushed under the rubble of a house in Gela village.

Apart from that, 9 people are missing in Taga village and one person has been injured. The people of this village have lost contact with the outside due to the road being washed away after the cloud burst and they are trapped. There is currently no way they can connect with any outside area. A rescue team has been dispatched to the spot.

Heavy rains in Uttarakhand have weakened rivers and caused the most damage at Munsiyari where a bridge was submerged. The Melam road leading to the Chinese border in Munsyari has also been badly damaged. The road was recently repaired and is currently cracked in several places. The villagers as well as the army are facing difficulties due to the collapse of Melam Road.

Apart from Uttarakhand, an alert has been issued for heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh.