Uttarakhand: Badrinath National Highway blocked at several areas in Chamoli

Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], August 15 (ANI): Badrinath National Highway has been blocked in several areas of the Chamoli district, as a result of heavy rainfall in the state, officials said on Tuesday.

According to Chamoli Police, the highway was blocked at Pipalkoti, Gadora, Navodaya Vidyalaya Pipalkoti, Gulabkoti, Pagalnala and Vishnuprayag areas of the Chamoli district.

On Monday, the highway was blocked and several vehicles were buried under debris falling from the mountain in Pipalkoti after a landslide was triggered following intermittent rainfall.

Chamoli District Magistrate, Himanshu Khurana had said yesterday that vehicles buried under the debris and one person was trapped under the debris in Pipalkoti.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had yesterday issued a red alert and predicted heavy rainfall with lightning in six districts of the state for the next twenty-four hours.

It also forecast very heavy to extremely heavy rain/ thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and very intense to extremely intense spell is likely to occur at isolated places in Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri, Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar.

According to official estimates, 52 people died due to rain-related incidents in this monsoon session while another 37 people sustained injuries. Heavy rains in Uttarakhand have triggered landslides and flash floods in several places.

On the instructions of the chief minister, SDRF and NDRF personnel were deployed in places badly affected by rain-related incidents.