Four dead as houses collapse due to heavy rain in Pithoragarh

Four people, including three children, died after houses collapsed due to heavy rain in Dharchula sub-division of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh on Sunday night, PTI reported. Several others are missing.

The incident occurred in Jumma village, said Pithoragarh District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan. He added that the disaster took place as debris and muck due to a cloudburst hit three houses, according to the Hindustan Times. The affected village is around 125 km from the district headquarters.

Bodies of the three children were recovered on Monday, whereas another was found at a different part of Jumma. A search operation was underway to find others.

“The casualties could be higher as the affected village is on the top of a hill,” Chauhan said.

Rescue operations by the state and the National Disaster Response Teams are underway but most parts of the roads have caved in and bridges have been washed away. A helipad is being built in the affected area to rescue people by…