30 dead in Uttarakhand landslide, three villages washed away

Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand), Aug 8

At least 30 people were killed and 50 missing as three hilly villages in Uttarakhand were washed away Saturday by a landslide triggered by a cloudburst following heavy rains, an official said.

The villages in Munsiyari area of Pithoragarh district, about 450 km from state capital Dehradun, were located at 5,000 feet.

Twenty-nine bodies have been recovered so far, a disrtrict police official said. The hilly region was lashed by downpour since Friday evening till Saturday afternoon.

Rescue workers from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were searching for around 50 people still missing.

The inhospitable terrain is hampering the rescue operation, the official said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal announced Rs.100,000 for the family of each dead in the tragedy.

The Munsiyari area borders Tibet and Nepal towards the east.