Uttarakhand: Gangotri highway closed for traffic due to landslides

Dehradun (Uttarakhandd), Aug. 5(ANI): The Gangotri highway (NH-108) near Laldhang and Chadethi was closed on Saturday after rains triggered landslides in Uttarakhand. Torrential rain for the past few days has wreaked havoc in the state with reports of five persons' death on Friday. While in Dehradun district four people were injured after a house in Vikasnagar collapsed following heavy showers on Thursday. Water from an overflowing rain-fed Paniala Gadar entered many houses and washed away some people in the area. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were rushed to the area to evacuate those still trapped in the gushing waters and the houses. In Kotdwar in Pauri district, the deceased were identified as Lakshya Arora, Jyoti Arora, Shanti Devi and Ajit Kumar were killed after their house in Refugee Colony was hit by a flash flood triggered by excessive rainfall. The torrential downpour also led to leak of electricity in Refugee Colony, leading to short-circuit at some places. Meanwhile, a cooking gas cylinder blast left three people injured- Harendra Bhatia , Rahul, Renu. They were admitted to a medical facility in Kotdwar. Other parts of Uttarakhand like Dehradun and Rishikesh also witnessed rains, with the Regional Met Office warning of very heavy rains on Saturday.(ANI)