The Indian Army, Navy and Air Force continued rescue and relief operations on Tuesday amid heavy rains in flood-hit Uttarakhand, said reports. Though bad weather conditions slowed down the operations, the Indian Navy said they will be deploying elite Marine Commandos in Rudraprayag to search for bodies and rescue stranded people.
"Twelve naval divers are heading to Rishikesh to look for bodies. UAVs have been deployed to retrieve bodies from inaccessible areas," reported CNN-IBN. According to reports, while about 1,000 people were rescued on Monday, over 9,000 people are still stranded in different regions across the state.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde Monday told reporters in Delhi that the death toll may cross the 1,000 mark after the debris is cleared. Officials reportedly warned that many more bodies are yet to be pulled out from isolated areas that are completely cut-off.
Mass cremation is being planned in the town of Kedarnath. The cremations will be held over the next few days and priests have been requested to participate in final rites. A total of 80,000 people have been evacuated so far after the north Indian state was hit by the Monsoon fury.