Three members of a family were on Monday killed in a house collapse as a fresh spell of rains stalled relief operations in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, where chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said that the number of people missing has mounted to over 4,700.
Two women and a child belonging to one family were killed when the ceiling of their house collapsed in Vikasnagar area of Dehra Dun, officials here said.
The roof of the house caved in under the impact of debris from the hills, killing them on the spot, they said.
About eight houses in Urgam valley of Chamoli district were damaged due to heavy rains on Monday forcing the occupants to vacate them and move to safer places, Chamoli’s district magistrate S.A. Murugesan said.
People living in those houses are safe as they have been evacuated apprehending damage, he said. Water level in Bhagirathi river in Uttarkashi has been constantly on the rise with villages of Tiloth and Joshiyara villages facing the danger of being inundated.
People living in houses located along the banks of the river have been asked to move to safer places, officials here said.
Mr Bahuguna said the number of people missing in the tragedy has risen to over 4,700 after getting inputs from other states.
Out of these, 750 are from Uttarakhand, he said. IAF’s C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, commissioned after copters engaged in the operations earlier failed to fly relief material to affected areas, has also not been helpful in the inclement weather.