Death toll in India floods rises to 1,000

Around 1,000 people have been killed in flash floods and landslides in northern India, as heavy rains halted the search on June 24, for thousands of tourists still stranded in the devastated Himalayan regions, officials said. Indian priests were preparing to cremate hundreds of victims of the disaster even as 8,000 mainly pilgrims and tourists were still awaiting rescue 9 days after flash floods and landslides hit the state of Uttarakhand. Senior officials warned that the death toll could rise above 1,000 as flood waters recede and debris is cleared by emergency workers, showing the full extent of the disaster in the mountainous region, known as the “Land of the Gods” for its revered Hindu shrines. Raging rivers have swept away houses, buildings and even entire villages in the state, which was packed with travellers in what is a peak tourist season.


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