Uttarkashi, Aug 10: A vital bridge was constructed in disaster-hit areas of Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand on Sunday, with authorities focusing more on supplying relief materials to people who have been stranded without essentials for over five days now.
Rescuers have intensified searches to trace the missing persons and have deployed sniffer and cadaver dogs as well as thermal imaging cameras to locate them after a devastating flash floods and mudslides buried half of Dharali village and nearby areas in Uttarkashi on Tuesday.
The sixth day of rescue operations to evacuate the stranded and find the missing was delayed till 10 am on Sunday due to bad weather. By 3 pm, 177 people were airlifted from disaster-hit areas by deploying helicopters. Around 1,200 people have been rescued so far. The district administration has confirmed four deaths in the tragedy, the recovery of two bodies and 49 people missing.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami chaired a meeting at the State Emergency Operation Centre in Dehradun to review relief and rescue operations in disaster-affected areas. A 90-feet Bailey bridge was constructed along the Gangotri National Highway to restore connectivity between Gangnani and Harshil, officials said. (PTI)