Uttarakhand: Four dead, including 3 children, as houses collapse due to heavy rain in Pithoragarh

Pithoragarh: Four people, including three children, were killed and several others went missing after three houses collapsed in a village following heavy rains in the Dharchula sub-division of the district, officials said on Monday. The incident occurred in Jumma village late on Sunday night, Pithoragarh District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan said. Bodies of three children were recovered on Monday and a search operation was on for those still missing, he said. SSB Commandant MP Singh said one more body was recovered from another part of the village, taking the death toll to four. SSB jawans were the first to reach the spot and launch search and rescue operations, he said. A helipad has been erected in the affected area, a control room set up there and a medical team sent to the village to treat the injured, Singh said. “The casualties could be higher as the affected village is on the top of a hill,” Chauhan said. “We have made an aerial survey of the village by a helicopter and sent SDRF and NDRF teams, along with police and revenue teams, to the village to run relief and rescue operations on a war footing,” the district magistrate said. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami spoke to the Pithoragarh district magistrate to find out the extent of damage caused by heavy rains in Jumma village. He asked Chauhan to offer all possible help to the affected people. The district magistrate held a meeting with officials at the district emergency centre to discuss measures to transport relief material to villagers.