This story is from August 23, 2019

Uttarakhand: Day after chopper crash, rescue operation resumes in Uttarkashi

Day after a helicopter crash claimed three lives in Uttarkashi district, rescue work at disaster-struck villages of Mori block resumed on Thursday.
Uttarakhand: Day after chopper crash, rescue operation resumes in Uttarkashi
Rescue personnel at work in Mori tehsil in Uttarkashi
UTTARKASHI/DEHRADUN: Day after a helicopter crash claimed three lives in Uttarkashi district, rescue work at disaster-struck villages of Mori block resumed on Thursday.
Administration is now focusing on restoring road, water and supply of electricity in affected areas. The administration has engaged hundreds of porters and volunteers to send food packets, water bottles, medicines and other relief materials in the affected villages by foot, as private helicopter services had to be halted after the accident.
After successfully implementing search and rescue operations for past five days, district administration has now focused on restoration of basic infrastructure in the villages of Mori block.
District magistrate (DM) Ashish Chauhan directed officials to restore motorable roads and village trek routes on priority so that villagers and rescue teams can travel smoothly. Besides, he directed to restore electricity, water and communication facilities.
“We have restored water supply in some villages such as the worst-affected Makudi and Tikochi. Alternate arrangements have been made in remaining villages. Electricity supply at 19 villages out of 34 has been restored, while the remaining 15 villages will get it by August 31. We have also restored Arakot-Sanel road for traffic movement, whereas Tikochi-Kiranu and Arakot-Chiwan-Balcha road will be restored by Friday. We will try to restore other link roads at the earliest,” the DM said, adding that they are further evaluating the loss of agriculture and horticulture crops, to compensate the affected farmers.
Meanwhile, the bodies of Captain Ranjeev Lal and co-pilot Shalesh Kumar Singh who died in the chopper crash in Uttarkashi district were brought to Dehradun on Thursday where they were paid tributes by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in the presence of several dignitaries.
The bodies of both Lal and Kumar were flown in from Uttarkashi to Jolly Grant Airport and then taken to SDRF office where senior officials paid their final tribute. The helicopter was involved in rescue work in the landslide and cloudburst hit areas of Uttarkashi district and had completed dozens of sorties before it got entangled into one of the wires and crashed. Lal was a resident of Delhi while Singh belonged to Kolkata.
“Both of them showed tremendous courage and distinction in providing relief to the affected. Captain Ranjeev Lal was also involved in rescue work during the 2013 floods. It is sad that we lost him in a tragic accident,” said city mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama.
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