The affected areas are currently the districts of Chamoli and Pithoragarh. River levels have increased dramatically and local media report that the Alaknanda River and a tributary, the Mandakini, have both overflowed.
Indian Minister of Home Affairs, Rajnath Singh, said that he had spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat regarding the situation and that central government is providing all possible assistance. He added that "National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been rushed to the areas affected by cloud burst in Uttarakhand. Additional teams of NDRF are also put on alert."
The Indian Home Minister also offered his condolences to the families of the victims. He said:
"I am deeply pained at loss of precious lives in Uttarakhand due to flash floods. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families."Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has announced a compensation of 2 lakh rupees for the families of the deceased.
Teams from the Indian Army are also in place, carrying out search and rescue operations.
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