Mass cremation begins at Kedranath
28 Jun 2013 11:47 PM GMT
With weather providing a small window before it packed up for the day, mass cremation of dead pilgrims started at Kedranath shrine on Thursday in the disaster-affected Uttarakhand state. The mass cremation of bodies had been put off for past two days due to bad weather. It was not immediately known how many bodies were created but the officials were relieved as the bodies had started to decompose.
Director-General Police (DGP) Satyavrat Bansal said disposal of all the bodies at Kedarnath was an onerous task with a large number of bodies lying underneath tonnes of debris and extricating them would not be easy as heavy equipment like JCBs will be need to be transported to the high altitude shrine for the purpose.
Vice chairman of National Disaster Management Agency M Sashidhar Reddy has expressed fears of the death toll climbing up. ‘There are 10 feet high debris in Kedarnath and we fear that several bodies are trapped,’ he was quoted by agency reports. Reddy also said that nearly 350 people continue to remain untraceable, raising fears that all of them are dead. According to official figures, so far 822 people lost their lives following the natural disaster in Uttarakhand.
Meanwhile 1,000 more stranded people were evacuated from Badrinath and Harshil sectors by air and road routes despite heavy in rain and fog. The head of Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne visiting the state after a chopper crashed on Tuesday, to boost the morale of the soldiers, pledged to continue with rescue efforts and hoped to wrap it up in the next few days. Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said people stranded in Harsil and Badrinath areas would be rescued in the next two days if the weather remains conducive to flights.
Director-General Police (DGP) Satyavrat Bansal said disposal of all the bodies at Kedarnath was an onerous task with a large number of bodies lying underneath tonnes of debris and extricating them would not be easy as heavy equipment like JCBs will be need to be transported to the high altitude shrine for the purpose.
Vice chairman of National Disaster Management Agency M Sashidhar Reddy has expressed fears of the death toll climbing up. ‘There are 10 feet high debris in Kedarnath and we fear that several bodies are trapped,’ he was quoted by agency reports. Reddy also said that nearly 350 people continue to remain untraceable, raising fears that all of them are dead. According to official figures, so far 822 people lost their lives following the natural disaster in Uttarakhand.
Meanwhile 1,000 more stranded people were evacuated from Badrinath and Harshil sectors by air and road routes despite heavy in rain and fog. The head of Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne visiting the state after a chopper crashed on Tuesday, to boost the morale of the soldiers, pledged to continue with rescue efforts and hoped to wrap it up in the next few days. Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said people stranded in Harsil and Badrinath areas would be rescued in the next two days if the weather remains conducive to flights.
Next Story
