Dehradun: A defence training academy on the outskirts of Dehradun collapsed on Monday as torrential rains pounded the state, while five people were missing after a series of landslides, including along the national highways to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Gangotri shrines, officials said.
Located on the banks of Song river near Lalpul, the building of the Dehradun Defence Academy caved in on Monday morning, Tehri Sub Divisional Magistrate Ashish Ghildiyal said.
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No one was injured as the building had been vacated in advance, he said. It is a private institution whose building was constructed 15 years ago, former Zilla panchayat member Akhilesh Uniyal said.
Incessant rains also triggered landslides in many areas of the state.
Four-five people were missing after a landslide in Laxmanjhula area of Pauri district.
Heavy rains triggered the landslide whose debris fell on a resort in the area trapping four-five people under it, Senior Superintendent of Police, Pauri, Shweta Choubey told PTI over phone.
Rescue and relief teams have reached the spot and a search operation has been started, she said. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, in a Facebook post, said heavy casualties have been reported due to heavy rains in Pauri which is extremely sad.
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Dhami held a high-level meeting to review the rain situation in the state and instructed officials to stay alert round-the-clock.
Most of the rivers were overflowing due to the rain with the Ganga flowing above the danger mark in Tehri, Haridwar and Rishikesh.
Alaknanda, Mandakini and Ganga rivers were flowing above the danger level at Rudraprayag, Shrinagar and Devprayag, the disaster control room here said.
The Badrinath National highway is blocked at a number of places due to landslide debris.There is also information about one person being buried under the debris near Pipalkoti.
In Chamoli district, a flood-like situation has developed along the banks of a dozen rivers, including Alaknanda and its tributaries Pindar, Nandakini and Birhi.
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Pindar's tributary Pranmati was also flooded due to landslide. Landslides in the upper reaches of Nandakini have caused the water level of the river to increase in the lower areas.
There are reports of loss of lives due to landslides in Pipalkoti town and surrounding areas on Badrinath National Highway. River Ganga is flowing at the danger mark in Rishikesh, Junior Engineer, Central Water Commission, Sunny Vishnoi said.
The Commission recorded 435 mm of rainfall in Rishikesh on Sunday night.
Heavy rains have also inundated various low lying areas in Rishikesh, including Chandreshwar Nagar and Sheesham Jhari.
The rural areas near Rishikesh have been flooded with the State Disaster Response Force evacuating people to a safer places.
The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for rain for Monday in six districts of Uttarakhand, including Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital and Champawat and issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain in Haridwar. —PTI