Three more killed in landslides, toll now 5

DEHRADUN: In less than a week, the toll in landslide-related incidents rose to five in the Uttarakhand hill districts with two fresh casualties reported late Wednesday in Chamoli district.
Executive director Puish Rautela of the Uttarakhand Disaster Management Response Centre (UDMC) said that three people, including a 50-year-old woman, Janki Devi, died in a landslide on Sunday near Sonprayag on the Rudraprayag-Kedarnath national highway, in Rudrapryag district.
Two men Ganesh Prasad (38) and Puran Singh (45) were killed late Wednesday around 11.30 pm as a huge rock, triggered by heavy rain, came crashing on a state government-owned bus at Bajpur.
A senior officer in the disaster management department said 38 connecting roads including Rishikesh-Badrinath, Rishikesh-Kedarnath, Rishikesh-Gangotri and Yamnotri, were found blocked because of fresh landslides. The total number of blocked roads rose to 206 from 168 in Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pauri, Kedarnath and Tehri districts.
Chief Minister Harish Rawat told TOI that he has asked DMs and divisional commissioners in Garhwal and Kumaon divisions to ensure that all those who are stuck at different places are supplied meals and other essential commodities regularly.