« Back to article

Print this article

Foreigners, monks join rescue operations in Leh

A monk eats food provided by the Indian army after flash floods in Leh. The floods were triggered by heavy rains that destroyed homes and uprooted telephone towers in the Himalayan region.

Authorities fear an outbreak of diseases

Children stand outside makeshift tents in a relief camp. Authorities fear an outbreak of diseases due to the short supply of food, fresh water and medicines.

Leh cut off

A picture taken from a hilltop shows the extent of the damage and rescue operations going on in Leh.

The flash floods deposited boulders and mud up to 15 feet high on highways, cutting road links with the rest of India. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has emphasised that the national highways need to be cleared immediately.

Foreigners join rescue operations

Katrin Spejbo, a German tourist who was in Leh town when the flash floods struck, takes a break from rescue operations along with locals.

The government has set up a special control room in the ministry of external affairs to streamline the collation and dissemination of information on foreigners affected by the floods.

Death toll rises to 165

People walk beside the wreckage of damaged buses in Leh. The death toll has climbed to 165 and authorities fear that it might rise, as nearly 500 people are still missing.

Monks join rescue operations

Monks conduct a rescue operation after flash floods at Choklansar on the outskirts of Leh. More than 300 foreign tourists are stranded in the Himalayan region.

IAF choppers to the rescue

A man hangs religious flags outside his house in Leh. Military helicopters rescued nearly 150 foreign tourists on Monday.

Advani asks MPs to donate to victims

Stranded tourists wait outside Leh airport for a flight.

BJP Parliamentary Party chief L K Advani has asked his party MPs to donate Rs 10,000 from their salary for providing relief to the flood victims in Leh.

6,000 army personnel to the rescue

A Buddhist monk walks amid the rubble of damaged houses. Nearly 6,000 army personnel and troopers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police are involved in rescue operations in Leh.