The early arrival of monsoon rains virtually wrecked several states of northern India on Monday. Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and several parts of Haryana were flooded as water levels in the Yamuna rose alarmingly, leaving around 60 people dead and thousands of others stranded.
The death toll in the rain fury is expected to rise, with around 50 people still missing in Uttarakhand, where the authorities suspended the Char Dham Yatra to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. The annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was also suspended in view of the heavy rains in Uttarakhand.
The tribal Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh was one of the worst hit, with nine persons killed in landslides that blocked important roads, even leaving chief minister Virbhadra Singh stranded in the Sangla Valley.
Many local residents and over a thousand tourists were stranded at various places, including 800 in Sangla alone, with continuing heavy rain hampering rescue work.
About 25 foreigners and a Doordarshan team were among those stranded in Kinnaur district.
In Uttarakhand, five more bodies were recovered on Monday from near the shrine of Kedarnath, taking the toll in the torrential rains lashing Uttarakhand to 37.
The rains have triggered flash floods in the Ganga, Yamuna and their tributaries, with the waters at most places sweeping away several bridges, roads and buildings.
The swirling waters of Assiganga, a tributary of the Ganga, has swept away several buildings, including a four-storeyed house that was vacated in advance, and a temple.