Mass cremation delayed, 1,000 rescued, 7,000 still stranded

Mass cremation of bodies of hundreds of people killed in floods and landslides in Uttarakhand was delayed on Tuesday amid fears of disease outbreak, as heavy rains hampered rescue operations for the second day.

Rescuers battled rains to evacuate 1,000 more stranded people including from Badrinath but around 7,000 people including 4,000 in the pilgrim town of whom 1,500 were locals, were still waiting to be rescued 10 days after the deluge.

The death toll rose to 822 with 142 bodies being found, including 127 in Kedarnath, the epicentre of destruction, officials said.

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With rescue operations being disrupted by cloudbursts coupled with torrential rains, IAF flew lesser sorties on Tuesday and evacuated about 500 people including 120 from Badrinath.

The 500 people earlier rescued from the Himalayan shrine were safely brought from the upper reaches to Joshemath by road, a distance of 44 km. Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar told reporters in Dehradun that Indian Air Force choppers rescued 120 people from Badrinath and 327 from Hershil.

One hundred and 20 more bodies were recovered since Monday from Kedarnath area. At least 15 corpses were found floating in Ganga in different districts of Uttar Pradesh including Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr and Bijnore, taking the toll in the tragedy to 822, officials said.

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The IAF, army and Uttarakhand administration launched a massive operation to send logistics like firewood and fuel for conducting last rites of those killed in the worst-hit Kedarnath Valley.

Multiple agencies undertaking relief and rescue operations are increasingly getting worried about the imminent spread of diseases and the rotting of bodies in the temple town area as the tragedy is ten days old now.

Truck loads of dry Deodar wood and ghee have been despatched to Kedarnath and efforts were underway to conduct mass ritual cremation of bodies strewn over the premises after their identification, post mortem and DNA preservation formalities, a senior police official told PTI.

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With the bodies already beginning to putrefy, the air is laden with a foul stench giving rise to fears of an epidemic outbreak in affected areas.

State Deputy Superintendent of Police Satyabrat Bansal said the DNA of unidentified bodies were being preserved and it is hoped that the weather clears on Wednesday to facilitate the cremation.

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