Dehradun, 7 August

Rescue operations in Uttarakhand's flash flood-ravaged Uttarkashi district gained momentum on Thursday, with 65 stranded people airlifted to Matli, officials said.

Efforts were also stepped up to airlift advanced equipment to the Himalayan village of Dharali to speed up the search for those trapped under rubble, they said.

While there was no official word on how many people are missing, locals claimed hundreds could be buried under the debris.

Sixty-five people, including tourists who were stranded at various places in Uttarkashi district, have been shifted to Matli by helicopter, according to the officials.

Buses have been arranged to send them to their respective destinations, they said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who is camping in Uttarkashi to monitor the rescue operations, interacted with some of those rescued in the buses.

Those rescued included pilgrims from various parts of the country who were stranded on the way to Gangotri following Tuesday's flash floods. They thanked the Army, the state government and locals for providing them shelter and supporting them in every way.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), police and other related agencies are involved in the relief and rescue operations.

SDRF IG Arun Mohan Joshi said, "Our priority today is to airlift advanced equipment to the spot. Our teams coming with advanced equipment on Wednesday were held up due to blocked roads."

There are 50 to 60-ft-high mounds of debris and those missing may be trapped under them, he said.

Landslides have blocked arterial roads leading up to Dharali, where dozens of people were trapped and many homes and cars swept away by the raging waters on Tuesday.

The advanced equipment will help rescuers dredge through the huge volume of rubble in search of the missing. Eleven Army personnel from a nearby camp in Harsil are among those missing.

Another priority is rescuing pilgrims stranded at different locations because of blocked roads. There could be 300-400 of them, Joshi said.

Besides locals and tourists, the missing may include labourers as several hotels were under construction at the site of the flash floods.

Ground penetrating radars and sniffer dogs are also likely to be used to trace the missing, the officials said.

Dharali is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates, and is home to several hotels and home stays.

Rescuers recovered two bodies on Wednesday.