Uttarakhand rain: Bodies of 12 trekkers recovered near Lamkhaga Pass

Rescuers have recovered the bodies of 12 trekkers from two separate places near the Lamkhaga Pass in Uttarakhand, ANI reported Saturday, citing the police.

The state has been badly affected by floods and landslides caused by heavy rain in the past few days.

Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar told the news agency that eleven trekkers each were reported missing from the Harshil area of the state, and from another area near the Lamkhaga Pass.

From the first group, the bodies of seven trekkers have been recovered, two trekkers have been rescued and two are still missing. From the second group, the bodies of five trekkers have been recovered, four have been rescued and two are missing.

Meanwhile, 61 trekkers, including six United States citizens, were airlifted from the Pindari, Kafni and Sunderdhunga glaciers in the state, The Times of India reported. Authorities were also in the process of airlifting more than 100 tourists stuck in the Darma and Byas valleys, the newspaper quoted officials as saying.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that he met disaster-affected people during a tour of the Champawat region. “The government stands with the affected people in every way, and is committed to take all possible efforts to help them,” he said.

In the past few days, floods and landslides in the state have caused at least 64 deaths. The state government has said that property worth Rs 7,000 crore was damaged in the rain, according to PTI.

On Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Dhami and Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (retired) conducted an aerial survey of the rain-affected areas.

On Wednesday, the Uttarakhand chief minister had said that the government will provide a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased, The Times of India reported.