Uttarakhand: Weather clears, IAF choppers land in Kedarnath

Dehradun: With the weather clearing up at most places in Uttarakhand, IAF choppers today landed at Kedarnath after three days to replenish fast running out food stocks for the team stationed there to dispose of bodies and clear the debris.

In another development, some members of the team engaged in disposing of bodies in Kedar valley, who had reported sick, were also flown back to Dehradun for treatment.

The administration is now thinking of sending another team as their replacement to the valley to help in the mammoth exercise.

After failed attempts by a special IAF aircraft to deliver foodstuff at Kedar valley on Monday due to bad weather, IAF choppers took up the task today as the skies cleared up and resumed the operation, a senior IAF officer told PTI.

Foodstuff adequate for the next 15 days was delivered at the shrine to take care of the medical experts and trained personnel drawn from different departments to clear tonnes of debris in the area and cremate the bodies that may be lying underneath, official sources here said.

With clear weather in the worst-hit Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag districts, distribution of rations badly affected over the past few days due to inclement weather was resumed with choppers loaded with relief material flown to affected people.

PTI