618 AP pilgrims returning; U’khand flood toll 556

21 Jun, 2013 20:10 IST|Sakshi

As many as 556 people died and 62,000 people are still stranded in the flood-hit areas of Uttarakhand. About 392 people wounded and an estimated 334 people are still missing after the flash floods.

About 1600 houses were badly damaged in the floods. Union Home Minister Susheel Kumar Shinde said on Friday that the Government has evacuated 34,000 people. After holding a meeting with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) IN New Delhi, Shinde said more people could be buried in the debris.

618 AP pilgrims returning in a spl train

About 618 pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh are returning to Hyderabad in a special train, said Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy, Union Minister of State for Railways told media persons in Delhi on Friday. This train will reach Hyderabad in 24 hours. The train is also carrying pilgrims from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, who have been evacuated from various regions of Uttarakhand.

8 Telugu people die in Uttarakhand

The State Government on Friday said that eight pilgrims from the state, who were caught in massive Uttarakhand floods, died even as 2,542 more were still stranded in the north hill state. A press release from the Chief Minister's Office here said so far 500 pilgrims safely reached New Delhi from Uttarakhand while some more pilgrims from Dehradun and Haridwar were being transported in special buses to the national capital.

Of the eight pilgrims who died in Uttarakhand, five belonged to Visakhapatnam and one from Anantapur. The 20-year-old youth from Anantapur was identified as Veerabhadra Swami and was cremated at Gourikund. Information about some other pilgrims was unavailable, the release added. The state government requested the railways to arrange additional coaches and also special trains from New Delhi to AP to bring back the pilgrims. State Labour Minister Danam Nagender left for New Delhi to supervise relief operations while the Chief Minister also asked Union Minister of State for Social Justice Balram Naik to co-ordinate the efforts. State Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha and senior IAS officer Sanjay Kumar, who hails from Uttarakhand, are currently stationed in Dehradun to monitor rescue and relief operations, the CMO release said

More special trains from Delhi

The railways is running a special train from Delhi to Secunderabad for survivors of Uttarakhand floods belonging to Andhra Pradesh.

The special train leaving Friday night will bring back the pilgrims who have reached the national capital from Uttarakhand. This special train will leave Nizamuddin at 9.30 p.m. Friday and is expected to arrive Secunderabad on Sunday.

"Extra coaches are also being attached to Dakshin Express and Duronto Express leaves Delhi today (Friday) to Secunderabad to clear the extra rush of passengers," said a statement by the South Central Railway (SCR) here.

The SCR has also dispatched a special empty rake consisting of 15 coaches from Secunderabad to Haridwar. It is part of the effort of railways to attach extra coaches/operate special trains for clearing the pilgrims stranded due to floods in Uttarakhand.

Senior officials of the SCR are in close liaison with Railway Board and Northern Railway authorities to coordinate the movement of special trains/attaching extra coaches on trains from the northern region towards Andhra Pradesh.

About 500 pilgrims from the southern state have reached Andhra Pradesh Bhavan during last two days. Minister of State for Railways Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy visited them and assured that the railways would make all arrangements for their return to their respective destinations.

Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi and other central ministers from the state also visited AP Bhavan to meet the pilgrims and review the arrangements being made for their return.

Eight pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh were killed and scores of others were missing. About 3,000 people from Andhra had gone to Uttarakhand for the pilgrimage when heavy rains and floods struck the hill state.

MI-26 choppers deployed

The Indian Air Force on Friday deployed MI-26 helicopters to launch search operations and evacuating the stranded pilgrims in the flood-hit Uttarakhand. The IAF has deployed 43 choppers in the relief and rescue efforts. It has also deployed its Mi-26 choppers, the largest and most powerful helicopter in the world, to augment the operations.

The Indian Air Force is currently the largest and the principal provider of air services for the rescue efforts. Other privately-owned choppers have also been pressed into service. The government Friday directed state-run passenger carriers Air India and Pawan Hans Helicopters (PHHL) to render all assistance to the Uttarakhand government in the search and rescue operations going on in the flood-affected areas of the hill state.

According to the civil aviation ministry, Air India has been directed to operate additional flights from Dehradun to bring stranded pilgrims and to offer concessional fares to the affected people. Pawan Hans hasbeen directed to deploy additional choppers in the rescue operations incoordination with the state government.

The chopper operator has already deployed three helicopters in the rescue operations. The company can deploy more choppers from its other sectors in assisting search and rescue operations. PHHL used to operate charter services to Kedarnath by a five-seater Bell chopper fromseveral links, including Dehradun heliport.

Chopper crashed in Kedarnath

An Army helicopter was reportedly crashed at Kedarnath, while evacuating the pilgrims. However, the pilot had a miraculous escape, sources said.