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India monsoon floods
Topic Started: 19 Jun 2013, 12:35 AM (240 Views)
skibboy
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18 JUNE 2013

At least 60 feared dead as monsoon lashes north India

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Houses perch precariously as river banks collapse from the rising waters of a flooded river in the northern state of Uttarakhand, on June 17, 2013.

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Graphic showing areas in India affected by heavy rains resulting in the deaths of at least 60 people

AFP - Torrential rains have triggered flash floods and landslides in northern India, leaving at least 60 people feared dead and thousands stranded after the monsoon covered the country ahead of schedule, officials said Tuesday.

Authorities have called in military helicopters to try to rescue marooned residents and pilgrims after homes and roads were washed away in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, officials said.

"We are unable to confirm the number of deaths since most of the communication lines have broken down across the state," the minister for disaster and relief in Uttarakhand said.

"But at least 60 people are feared dead and nearly 50,000 are stranded," Yashpal Arya told AFP.

River water levels are continuing to rise across the state, clogging roads and leaving hundreds of pilgrims stranded on their way to visit Hindu shrines, officials said.

Television footage showed bridges, houses and other buildings crashing down and being washed away by the swirling waters.

A swollen river is seen engulfing a giant statue of Lord Shiva in the tourist city of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.

Fresh rains in Uttarakhand were hampering rescue efforts, with teams from the national disaster management authority camping in the popular pilgrimage town of Haridwar awaiting air lift to the worst-affected districts, officials said.

The state government was also readying food parcels and drinking water to be dropped by helicopters to remote villages cut-off by the torrential rains.

"The situation is very grim. The meteorological office has predicted that the rain will continue for another three days at least," government official Amit Chandola was quoted by television stations as saying.

In the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh, at least eight people were feared dead, a local police official told AFP by telephone.

A few villages close to the border with China have also seen unseasonal snowfall, leaving dozens of shepherds and thousands of sheep stranded, a village headman told AFP.

India's farming sector depends on the annual monsoon, which lashes the subcontinent from June to September, usually bringing some flooding.

But the monsoon has arrived early this year, catching many by surprise.

The country has received 68 percent more rain than normal for this time of year, data from the India Meteorological Department shows.

The normal expected rainfall in the country from June 1 to June 17 is 67.2 millimetres, but 112.9 millimetres of rain has been measured so far, the data showed.

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skibboy
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19 JUNE 2013

120 killed in India monsoon floods

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Local residents look out to the sea during heavy rain in Mumbai, on June 18, 2013.

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Graphic showing areas in India affected by heavy monsoon rains

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A young girl is seen standing on a bench as rising waters of the Yamuna river flood into her home, on the outskirts of New Delhi, on June 18, 2013.
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AFP - Military helicopters carried out emergency food drops on Wednesday for thousands of people stranded by flash flooding from early monsoon rains which have killed at least 120 in northern India, officials said.

The states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have witnessed torrential rains at least three times as heavy as usual since last week when the annual monsoon broke a fortnight ahead of schedule.

Thousands of houses have been swept away in the flash floods and authorities are using helicopters to evacuate people and drop essential food supplies.

"At least 110 people have died. The state government and the army are trying to rescue thousands of tourists who are stranded near the submerged valleys and Hindu shrines," said Jaspal Arya, the disaster relief minister of Uttarakhand.

Arya said portions of a Hindu temple were washed away on Tuesday and about 10,000 pilgrims were stranded.

"The Kedarnath temple is submerged in mud and slush. We just hope that it does not collapse," Arya told AFP.

Authorities have cancelled pilgrimage trips, fearing further rains and landslides in the state, often referred to as the "Land of the Gods" because of its many Hindu temples and Hindu religious sites.

Officials in Uttarakhand, the worst-hit state, said about 200 cars, two earthmoving equipment and even a parked helicopter had been swept away by floods.

The torrential rains began lashing the region on Saturday and local officials said 40 relief camps have been set up to provide food and water to locals and tourists.

On Tuesday, 250 people were rescued by air force helicopters from different parts of the state and many were moved to the relief camps.

"But many are still stuck and it could take us three more days to rescue all of them, Arya added.

According to Uttarakhand chief secretary Subash Kumar 21 bridges have collapsed in the state. "We have lost access to several villages across the state."

In neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, flash floods destroyed more than 500 houses and government buildings and at least 10 people were killed in landslides.

A military statement on Tuesday said five air bases in northern India had been activated to speed up operations.

The monsoon, which India's farming sector depends on, covers the subcontinent from June to September, usually bringing some flooding.

But the heavy rains arrived early this year, catching many by surprise and exposing the country's lack of preparedness.

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skibboy
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21 June 2013

India floods: Death toll in Uttarakhand 'passes 500'

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The BBC's Nitin Srivastava has been on board a helicopter helping rescue stranded pilgrims

The death toll from flooding and landslides following heavy monsoon rains in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand has passed 500.

The state's Chief Minister, Vijay Bahuguna, said 556 bodies had been seen floating or buried in "slush", and that the army was working to recover them.

The charity Action Aid says 5,000 people are missing in the area.

Many of those stranded in the mountainous region are Hindu pilgrims visiting local shrines.

The worst affected area is around the holy town of Kedarnath.

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The Kedarnath Temple, high up in the Garhwal Himalaya, is a site of pilgrimage for Hindus

The Indian Army is leading rescue efforts.

The authorities say troops have yet to reach some remote mountain areas.

Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said more than 33,000 pilgrims had been rescued in the past few days, but at least 50,000 people were still stranded.

Earlier on Friday, 40 bodies were recovered from the river Ganges in the temple town of Haridwar, according to local police official Rajiv Swaroop.

Haridwar is downstream from the region where heavy rains on Sunday night triggered flash floods and landslides.

Flood-related deaths have also been reported in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh states and neighbouring Nepal.

The monsoon season generally lasts from June to September, bringing rain which is critical to farming, but this year the rain in the north of India and parts of Nepal has been far heavier than usual.

'Shocked'

State Agriculture Minister Harak Singh Rawat, who had visited the Kedarnath area, described the floods as the "worst tragedy of the millennium".

"It will take us at least five years to recover from the extensive damages caused to the entire infrastructure network in the Kedarnath area which is the worst affected," the Press Trust of India quoted him as saying.

Mr Rawat said he was "shocked" to see the extent of the damage caused to the buildings and area adjoining the shrine.

"The centre of faith has turned into a burial ground. Bodies are scattered in the area. Only the sanctum sanctorum is intact," he added.

The temple committee of the Kedarnath shrine has appealed for donations following the disaster, to "revive the glory" of the "most sacred temple".

Officials say the rains in Uttarakhand have been the heaviest in 60 years and the floods have flattened hotels and homes and washed away roads and dozens of bridges.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the situation there as "distressing" and announced a 10bn rupee ($170m; £127m) aid package for the state.

Flood survivors have been evacuated to the state capital Dehradun, where relatives of those missing await news.

Dehradun is also the base for the relief effort, from where rescue workers, medicines and food are being flown to the flood-hit areas.

Google has opened up its person finder tool in Hindi and English to help trace missing people in Uttarakhand.

India's National Disaster Management Authority has published control room phone numbers for flood-affected districts.

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skibboy
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22 June 2013

India floods: Rescue efforts intensify, as death toll rises

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The Indian Army is leading rescue efforts

Efforts have intensified in northern India to rescue tens of thousands of people trapped by flash floods that have already killed nearly 600 people.

The army is evacuating survivors in mountainous Uttarakhand state by helicopter and special trains are carrying people from affected areas.

More than 40,000 people are still stranded in what the government has described as a "national crisis".

Officials have admitted a lack of co-ordination in the rescue effort.

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Forecasters are predicting more rain.

Early monsoon rains in India this year are believed to be the heaviest in 60 years.

The rainy season generally lasts from June to September, bringing rain which is critical to farming.

'Lack of co-operation'

Government officials say more than 33,000 people have already been rescued from the worst-hit areas over the past several days.

But during a visit to the area, Home Minister Shushil Shinde admitted there was a 'lack of co-ordination amongst agencies involved in relief operations".

Many locals are also complaining of neglect from relief agencies, alleging priority is being given to tourists and Hindu pilgrims, the BBC's Nitin Srivastava in Dehradun reports.

"Whatever is humanly possible is being done," Information Minister Manish Tewari told reporters.

The authorities say they are yet to reach many survivors in remote areas cut off by flash floods, as the army is struggling to repair roads and bridges.

One of the worst-hit areas is the Kedarnath Valley, where thousands of pilgrims remain stranded.

Many survivors have been evacuated to the state capital Dehradun, where relatives of those missing await news.

Dehradun is also the base for the relief effort, from where rescue workers, medicines and food are being flown to the affected areas.

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The floods have flattened homes and washed away roads and bridges

At least 560 are known to have been killed and thousands are missing. The death toll is expected to rise further.

On Friday, 40 bodies were recovered from the river Ganges in the temple town of Haridwar, a local police official said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the situation there as "distressing" and announced a 10bn rupee ($170m; £127m) aid package for the state.

Google has opened up its person finder tool in Hindi and English to help trace missing people in Uttarakhand.

India's National Disaster Management Authority has published control room phone numbers for flood-affected districts.

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skibboy
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23 JUNE 2013

Bad weather hits India flood rescue operations

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Indian defence personnel assist elderly civilians after being flown to safety, in Uttarakhand, on June 22, 2013.

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Indian military help a pilgrim cross a swollen river in Uttarakhand state on June 22, 2013. More than 20,000 people were cut off in remote areas with the full extent of the loss of life only likely to emerge after flood waters recede and rescue workers reach isolated areas, officials said.

AFP - Bad weather hampered rescue operations in rain-ravaged northern India where up to 1,000 people are feared to have died in landslides and flash floods that have left pilgrims and tourists stranded in remote mountains without food or water.

So far 557 bodies have been found after torrential rains struck the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on June 15, flooding the Ganges river and devastating an area known as the "Land of the Gods" for its revered Hindu shrines.

More than 20,000 people were cut off in remote areas with the full extent of the loss of life only likely to emerge after flood waters recede and rescue workers reach isolated areas, officials said.

"The death toll could be more than 750 -- maybe around 1,000," Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said in the state capital Dehradun late Saturday.

Raging rivers have swept away houses, buildings and entire villages.

Dozens of helicopters and thousands of soldiers have been deployed to help people trapped across the state.

But air operations had to be suspended on Sunday due to rain and overcast conditions over the pilgrimage sites of Kedarnath and Badrinath as well as Rishikesh, which is popular with adventure tourists for its white-river rafting.

Twenty trekkers including six Americans were rescued Saturday after they were marooned near a remote glacier, while the army managed to make contact with nearly 1,000 people stuck in mountains near Kedarnath.

Weather permitting, two aircraft were to transport a medical team and equipment to set up an emergency "mini hospital" in the region, Indian Air Force spokeswoman Priya Joshi told AFP.

Around 120 bodies were recovered from the Kedarnath temple complex and more were feared to be lying in nearby jungle where tourists took refuge after hotels and other buildings collapsed in the deluge.

The Times of India newspaper said some people had died of hunger and illness when relief failed to reach them in time.

"Mostly the young survived. But many had to see their loved ones die a slow death in front of their eyes," it quoted a rescue worker as saying.

For the 22,000 stranded people, it has been a grim battle of survival against the odds, an army rescue worker who did not want to be named told AFP.

"They have been stuck for more than five days without food or water. Temperatures have been dipping sharply in the night but they do not have any shelter," he said.

Rescuers hoped to evacuate more people on Sunday after road links to several areas were reopened.

Distraught relatives clutching photographs of missing family members have been waiting for days outside Dehradun airport for news of their loved ones.

The military operation, involving around 50 helicopters and more than 10,000 soldiers, was focused on reaching those stranded in the holy town of Badrinath after earlier finding widespread devastation in the Kedarnath temple area.

Special trains and buses have been pressed into service to bring tourists home while medical and food supplies were being flown to stranded people.

In the adjacent state of Himachal Pradesh, 20 people have been killed and around 1,200 tourists remained stranded in remote rain-hit regions.

The Kinnaur district has seen heavy damage with power cut off to large areas and roads washed away.

Floods and landslides from monsoon rains have also struck neighbouring Nepal, leaving at least 39 people dead, according to the government in Kathmandu.

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skibboy
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23 June 2013

India floods death toll 'could rise to 1,000'

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The Indian authorities are using every means possible to get to those affected

The death toll in flash floods and landslides in northern India could climb to 1,000, officials have warned.

More than 600 people are confirmed dead with more than 40,000 still said to be stranded in the mountains of Uttarakhand state.

Survivors are being airlifted from the worst-hit areas and special trains are also carrying people to safety.

Search and rescue efforts have been stepped up as more downpours are expected.

Early monsoon rains in India this year are believed to be the heaviest in 60 years.

Vijay Bahuguna, chief minister of Uttarakhand state, told the BBC he feared at least 1,000 people had died.

He has also denied a claim by Indian Home Minister Sushil Shinde that the rescue effort had lacked co-ordination.

Meanwhile, officials said that the severely damaged Hindu temple town of Kedarnath had now been cleared of survivors and teams were searching for the bodies of victims.

The BBC's Nitin Srivastava in the city of Rishikesh says the biggest problem for rescue workers is the difficult mountainous terrain and the continuing poor weather.

Tourists and pilgrims were among those caught up in the floods, which washed away homes, roads and bridges.

Many of those affected by the floods are accusing the government of neglect.

Friends and relatives of those still missing have been protesting outside government offices, our correspondent adds.

One woman who was rescued by army helicopter said she had walked at least 25km (15 miles) trying to escape the floods.

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"The army was fabulous, they helped us so much. They even carried people across in their arms and they are helping us out till now, but the government did not do anything to mitigate our problems," said Malika Devi, quoted by Reuters.

Government officials say more than 33,000 people have already been rescued from the worst-hit areas over recent days.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the situation as "distressing" and announced a 10bn rupee ($170m; £127m) aid package for Uttarakhand.

Many survivors have been evacuated to the state capital Dehradun, where relatives of those still missing are awaiting news.

Dehradun is also the base for the relief effort, from where rescue workers, medicines and food are being flown to the affected areas.

The rainy season generally lasts from June to September, bringing rain which is critical to farming.

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Audi-Tek
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More than 1,000 Dead in Northern India Flooding.


The Indian Monsoon arrived ahead of schedule across the state of Uttarakhand. The monsoon is supposed to begin closer to July 1. But, days of heavy rain last week swept away entire villages.

More than just the usual residents of the Himalayan state have been swept up in the flooding. Tourist and pilgrims, numbering in the tens of thousands were visiting Hindu holy sites across Uttarakhand.

The pilgrimage know as Char Dham Yatra, takes pilgrims to four of the holiest shrines across Uttarakhand between May and November.
The death toll has already surpassed 1,000. But, there are reports from the Indian press that thousands more remain missing.

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During the period of June 13 to June 19, an average of 322 mm (12.68 inches)of rain has affected the state of Uttarakhand. The normal rainfall for this period is 34 mm (1.34 inches). These rainfall stats are courtesy of the India Meteorological Department.

In recent days, the intense rainfall has subsided. But, another surge of monsoon moisture is expected to affect Uttarakhand and surround areas next week.

This rainfall is expected to total 75-150 mm (3-6 inches) in many areas, reaching some of the areas hardest hit by the recent flooding. Local rainfall total of 250 mm (10 inches) or more will be possible by

next weekend.

The only good news for Uttarakhand is that the heaviest rainfall through Thursday appears to be off to the east, which may help some rescue efforts, however they will not be immune to rounds of rainfall which can be locally heavy.

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In this Thursday June 20, 2013, photo, a man snaps pictures in an area devastated following heavy monsoon rains at Kedarnath, in the northern Indian state of Uttrakhand. (AP Photo)



Source ........... http://www.accuweather.com/
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Audi-Tek
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Monsoon Rains to Pick Up After a Break.


Monsoon rains will grow in coverage and intensity in the Indian subcontinent this week following a marked lull.

Likely hot spots will spread along the central and eastern Himalayas through central India as well as the west coast southward from Gujarat.

Localized heavy falls of rain will hit the flood-stricken highlands of northern India and western Nepal, where rescue and clean up were still under way as of Monday following last week's tragic floods.

Extreme rainfall along the western Himalayas was the culmination of a surging South West Monsoon, which sprinted to cover virtually all of the subcontinent by the 16th of June. The exceptional early onset was up to four weeks ahead of the historical average.

In the wake of the mid-June cloudbursts, most of Pakistan to northwestern India last week saw a return to dry, hot weather typical of the weeks leading up to the Monsoon onset. It was as if the Monsoon withdrew to its "normal" position for the latter half of June.

-New Monsoon Low to Ramp Up Rain

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Forecast of cumulative rainfall Monday, 24 June, 2013, to Monday, 1 July, 2013, based upon the GFS numerical forecast model. Dark red "hot spots" show forecast rainfall of at least 200 mm (about 8 inches). Note here the forecast lack of rain in much of Pakistan into the desert of Rajasthan. (Credit: wxmaps.org)

A cyclonic weather system marked by low pressure was spinning near the northwest shore of the Bay of Bengal as of Monday. Since Sunday, this low had already triggered heavy falls of rain in areas of the southeastern half of the subcontinent.

The low from the Bay of Bengal will drift westward over central India through about Wednesday, triggering localized flooding rains nearby and, more distantly, in geographically favored parts of the subcontinent. After Wednesday, movement of the low was forecast to become more erratic, potentially veering slowly northeastward to give increased rainfall along the Himalayas, even westward to the flood-hit states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.



Source .............. http://www.accuweather.com/
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skibboy
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24 JUNE 2013

India to begin mass cremation of flood victims

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A stranded Indian pilgrim is transported across a river using a rope rescue system, by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel in Govind Ghat, on June 23, 2013.

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Schoolchildren pay tribute to northern Indian flash flood victims, at a school in Amritsar, on June 22, 2013.

AFP - Indian priests are planning to cremate hundreds of flood victims on Monday, as heavy rains halted the search for thousands of tourists stranded in the devastated Himalayan region, officials said.

Up to 1,000 people are feared dead and more than 8,000 mainly pilgrims and tourists are still awaiting rescue nine days after flash floods and landslides caused by torrential monsoon rains hit the state of Uttarakhand.

"580 people have lost their lives and many more bodies are yet to be pulled out from isolated areas that are completely cut-off," K.N. Pandey, an official with the state disaster management team, told AFP.

Preparations were underway for a mass cremation in the flood-ravaged holy town of Kedarnath, with rescue workers ordered to collect tonnes of fire wood, amid concerns of an outbreak of disease from rotting bodies, officials said.

"We have decided to start (a) mass cremation today. The priests of temples have been requested to participate in the final rites," Pandey said.

Military helicopters have been grounded because of bad weather, suspending the evacuation by air of those still stranded, many without food and water, in remote areas of the state, known as the "Land of the Gods" for its revered Hindu shrines.

"We can only use the helicopters when the weather is clear. Rescue work can only resume when rains stop," said a senior army official in New Delhi.

Helicopters and thousands of soldiers have been deployed to help with the rescue efforts, with thousands of people already evacuated since the rains hit on June 15.

Soldiers along with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police have been using harnesses and erecting rope bridges across flooded rivers as part of efforts to move people to safety.

Raging rivers have swept away houses, buildings and even entire villages in the state, which was packed with travellers in what is a peak tourist season.

More than 1,000 bridges have been damaged along with roads, cutting off hard-hit villages and towns.

Around 120 bodies were recovered from the Kedarnath temple area on Sunday and more were feared to be lying in a nearby jungle where tourists took refuge after hotels and other buildings collapsed in the deluge, officials have said.

In the adjacent state of Himachal Pradesh, 20 people have also been killed. Floods and landslides from monsoon rains have also struck neighbouring Nepal, leaving at least 39 people dead, according to the government in Kathmandu.

The monsoon, which covers the subcontinent from June to September, usually brings some flooding.

But the heavy rains arrived early this year, catching many by surprise and exposing a lack of preparedness.

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skibboy
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25 JUNE 2013

8 dead in India floods rescue chopper crash

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Indian workers wait to offload wood to be carried by an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter at Gauchar Airfield on June 25, 2013, ahead of cremation preparations for flood victims in the northern state of Uttarakhand at Kedarnath.

AFP - Eight people died on Tuesday in northern India when a rescue helicopter helping flood relief efforts crashed near a pilgrimage site, the air force announced.

"The eight persons on board including five crew members sustained fatal injuries" in the crash near Gaurikund in the state of Uttarakhand, said a statement sent to AFP.

The helicopter, a Russian-made Mi-17, was flying a rescue mission in the state where more than 1,000 people have been killed in flash floods and landslides.

The military is leading efforts to evacuate some 6,000 pilgrims and tourists still stranded throughout the state since the floods hit on June 15.

Raging rivers swept away houses, buildings and even entire villages in the state, which was packed with travellers in what is a peak tourist season.

More than 1,000 bridges have been damaged along with roads, cutting off villages and towns.

Gerard Galway, a spokesman for the air force in Uttarakhand, told AFP that the reasons for the crash were being investigated.

About 60 air force helicopters are being used in the rescue efforts.

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17 killed in India rescue chopper crash

By CNN staff
June 26, 2013

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Helicopter rescues pilgrims stranded because of heavy flooding near Kedarnath, Uttarakhand on June 24, 2013.

(CNN) -- The death toll in a helicopter crash that occurred amid rescue efforts in the wake of massive flooding in India rose to 17 Wednesday, police said in a news release.

Fifteen people remain missing, the news release said. "Their helicopter crashed when they were returning home after rescuing and safely sending home more than 2,000 yatris," or people on pilgrimage," it said.

The incident occurred Tuesday near Gaurikund in the state of Uttarakhand.

Scores of people have been killed and trapped in flooding and landslides in the country.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the crash "has come as a huge shock to me."

"The nation mourns with me the loss of our heroes whose selfless work has saved thousands of lives," he said in a statement. "Continuing their work would be the best homage to them."

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30 JUNE 2013

3,000 still missing in India's flood-hit north

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People cross the Alaknanda river on Sunday following flash floods in Uttarkhand state.

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People stranded by floods in the Gangharia area of Uttarakhand state are airlifted out on June 20.

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People move furniture as homes floods in the northern state of Uttarakhand on June 17.

AFP - Some 3,000 people remain missing in India's flood-ravaged north two weeks after the tragedy, but it is unclear how many of those have been killed, a top state official said Sunday.

About 1,000 people, many of them pilgrims and tourists, are confirmed dead after flash floods and landslides caused by torrential monsoon rains hit the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on June 15, officials have said.

Thousands of soldiers, backed by military helicopters, have wound down rescue efforts after evacuating more than 100,000 people stranded in the state, which was packed with tourists on pilgrimages to remote Hindu temples and shrines.

"As per information we have received, 3,000 people are still missing," state Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna told reporters in the state capital Dehradun.

Bahuguna announced that families will receive 500,000 rupees ($8,500) in compensation if their loved ones are still missing after the next 30 days.

Some of those initially reported missing may have returned home or continued with their travels but failed to notify local authorities, officials said.

The exact death toll may never be known because some of the bodies may have been washed away or buried under tonnes of debris, Bahuguna told the Press Trust of India.

A state lawmaker said late Saturday the death toll could cross 10,000 but the figure was rejected as "guesswork" by Bahuguna.

A 200-strong team of specialists is scouring the worst-hit temple region of Kedarnath for bodies, which may still be trapped under debris or swept away by floods and landslides, officials said.

"Clearing tonnes of debris lying in the affected areas and extricating decaying bodies which may be lying under them is our topmost priority at the moment," said state director-general of police Satyavrat Bansal.

Rescue workers have recovered bodies in rivers hundreds of kilometres downstream from the flood zone, underscoring the difficulty of finding all those who perished.

Raging rivers swept away houses, buildings and even entire villages in the state, known as the "Land of the Gods" for its revered shrines.

Medical teams have been deployed to assess the risks to public health after warnings of an outbreak of disease due to contamination from hundreds of bodies found in rivers.

Media reported that state officials were warned in advance of heavy rains and possible landslides in the area.

A senior meteorologist said he had asked the state government to halt pilgrimages in the area before the June 15 disaster over concerns about the rains.

"It is true that on (the) 14th we had started giving warnings of heavy rains," local chief meteorologist Anand Sharma told television channel NDTV in Dehradun.

State Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar said the government had received the weather forecasts but described the warnings as routine.

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15 JULY 2013

India says 5,748 missing in floods now presumed dead

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Portraits of people missing after devastating floods hit the northern state of Uttarakhand are pasted on the gates of the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, on June 26, 2013.

AFP - Almost 6,000 people listed as missing after flash floods struck northern India last month are now presumed dead, officials said Monday.

"5,748 people are listed as missing, and the process of compensation to their families will begin tomorrow on the assumption they are dead," the chief minister of the worst-hit state of Uttarakhand told a press conference.

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