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| India floods: eight killed after rescue helicopter crashes in Uttarakhand | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| An Indian air force helicopter returning from a rescue mission in the country's flood-ravaged north has crashed, killing the eight people on board, according to officials. | An Indian air force helicopter returning from a rescue mission in the country's flood-ravaged north has crashed, killing the eight people on board, according to officials. |
| Bad weather has hampered rescue efforts in Uttarakhand state, where more than 1,000 people are believed to have died and thousands of others remain stranded in remote areas because of landslides and floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains. The helicopter hit a mountain and fell into a river – other air force helicopters were unable to take off due to poor visibility, Group Captain Sandeep Mehta said. | Bad weather has hampered rescue efforts in Uttarakhand state, where more than 1,000 people are believed to have died and thousands of others remain stranded in remote areas because of landslides and floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains. The helicopter hit a mountain and fell into a river – other air force helicopters were unable to take off due to poor visibility, Group Captain Sandeep Mehta said. |
| The air force ordered an inquiry into the crash in the temple town of Kedarnath, said Priya Joshi, an air force spokeswoman. Five crew members and three civilians had been on board. | The air force ordered an inquiry into the crash in the temple town of Kedarnath, said Priya Joshi, an air force spokeswoman. Five crew members and three civilians had been on board. |
| Joshi said 45 aircraft were involved in rescue and relief operations in Uttarakhand. | Joshi said 45 aircraft were involved in rescue and relief operations in Uttarakhand. |
| Hundreds of thousands of Hindus make the pilgrimage known as the Char Dham Yatra to four temple towns in Uttarakhand each year, usually returning home before monsoon rains in July make the mountainous area much more treacherous. Unprecedented heavy rains fell around mid-June this year and caught many unaware. | Hundreds of thousands of Hindus make the pilgrimage known as the Char Dham Yatra to four temple towns in Uttarakhand each year, usually returning home before monsoon rains in July make the mountainous area much more treacherous. Unprecedented heavy rains fell around mid-June this year and caught many unaware. |
| Air force chief NAK Browne has said the air force will rescue everyone stranded in Uttarakhand but bad weather and poor visibility have frequently cancelled evacuation flights. | Air force chief NAK Browne has said the air force will rescue everyone stranded in Uttarakhand but bad weather and poor visibility have frequently cancelled evacuation flights. |
| About 90,000 people from hundreds of villages and towns hit by the floods have been rescued. Landslides flattened entire towns, roads were washed away and communication links snapped, cutting off many people and necessitating air rescues. | About 90,000 people from hundreds of villages and towns hit by the floods have been rescued. Landslides flattened entire towns, roads were washed away and communication links snapped, cutting off many people and necessitating air rescues. |
| Troops are also trying to rescue about 5,000 people who remain stranded in Badrinath town eight days after the torrential rains began. | Troops are also trying to rescue about 5,000 people who remain stranded in Badrinath town eight days after the torrential rains began. |
| In the town of Gauchar, the centre of the rescue and relief operations, authorities made arrangements to send about a dozen Hindu priests to Kedarnath. The temple is one of Hinduism's most revered pilgrim sites. | In the town of Gauchar, the centre of the rescue and relief operations, authorities made arrangements to send about a dozen Hindu priests to Kedarnath. The temple is one of Hinduism's most revered pilgrim sites. |
| The home minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, had said deaths in Uttarakhand would exceed 1,000. At least 600 bodies were found buried in silt in and around the Kedarnath temple. | The home minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, had said deaths in Uttarakhand would exceed 1,000. At least 600 bodies were found buried in silt in and around the Kedarnath temple. |
| Authorities were preparing to cremate hundreds of the dead. Truckloads of wooden logs were loaded on to air force transport planes and flown to Kedarnath to be used in a mass funeral and cremation. Medical teams are taking DNA samples and photographs of the unidentified bodies before they are cremated. | Authorities were preparing to cremate hundreds of the dead. Truckloads of wooden logs were loaded on to air force transport planes and flown to Kedarnath to be used in a mass funeral and cremation. Medical teams are taking DNA samples and photographs of the unidentified bodies before they are cremated. |
| The federal health ministry said it had sent more than 1m chlorine tablets to purify drinking water supplies in Uttarakhand, as well as teams of doctors. | The federal health ministry said it had sent more than 1m chlorine tablets to purify drinking water supplies in Uttarakhand, as well as teams of doctors. |
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