Leh Disaster

[Rahul M]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/leh-f ... as/657317/

Leh floods: 137 dead, rescuers struggle in remote areas

The devastating flash floods that ravaged Leh town and adjoining areas on Thursday night have so far killed 137 people though there are fears that hundreds might still be missing.

in a nutshell, there was a massive cloudburst resulting in a flash flood, more than 500 people are still missing.

[jagga]

PM announces ex-gratia relief for Leh flash flood victims
May God give flood victims strength to overcome this tragedy.
IMVHO relief amount is too low specially for the people who have lost their homes as well as near and dear ones

[Sanjay M]

^^^ They don't have much voting size

[Bade]

Supercomputer to mimic cloudburst- Scientists try to understand phenomenon that devastated Leh by lab simulation

Weather observations from the past have indicated that cloudbursts usually occur during the monsoon —mainly in August — over the western Himalayan region.

“They appear to have something to do with leftover clouds that move towards the mountains,” the forecast centre researcher said. The source of a cloudburst which causes intense rainfall over a small area is typically a cloud that rises from about 500m above ground level to an altitude of 15km.
“It is like a giant reservoir of water in the atmosphere, all set for release when it gets the right trigger,” said Jivanprakash Kulkarni, a physicist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.

Some scientists have speculated that night-time cooling may trigger condensation in the upper layers of the cloud that sets off a chain reaction that rapidly releases all accumulated water. “It has something to do with microphysics of clouds,” Kulkarni said.

A special weather radar that allows scientists to track the growth, moisture levels and other internal features of clouds could have helped them study cloudbursts in the western Himalayas — perhaps even watch them form and die in real time — but there is no such radar operational in that part of the country yet.

[Rahul M]

"Can't find my parents"
http://www.timesnow.tv/videoshow/4351215.cms


http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/08/stories ... 421000.htm

Though 130 bodies have been recovered, more than 500 people are still missing and it is feared they might have died. Some suggest that the number could be higher at 800. Old Leh town has been flattened with mud, with no clue to where the houses stood. The debris is being cleared fast.
......................
“This is the season of tourists. But now many have cancelled bookings” said hotelier Mohammad Yaqoob. Officials said over 100 tourists were trapped on the Leh-Manali road and efforts to rescue them were on. Some others are trapped in the town. Additional flights from Delhi are likely to fly the tourists back home. Over 3,000 tourists were in Leh on Friday.

It is just debris all over in the worst-hit Choglamsar, just five km from here, and other villages.

“It is doomsday here. Everything has perished,” said Choglamsar resident Abdul Aziz.

Not only locals but also people from other States like Bihar have been injured or are dead. Nine labourers were simply washed away along with their tents near Leh. “They perished right before me,” Kumar of Gopalganj said in hospital.

Rescue teams are finding it difficult to reach the people who are either trapped or dead, as road links are severely hit.

“Roads have simply disappeared, bridges and culverts were washed away in torrents of rain,” T. Angmoo, a resident, told The Hindu. Sources said many children were feared dead.

“Communication, first priority”

With authorities restoring the roads in Leh, the focus shifts to connectivity of villages. “Communication is the first priority as we need to reach out to the missing people,” a top Army officer said.

Road connectivity between Leh and Kargil has also snapped. Many bridges have been damaged as rainwater, in the aftermath of the cloudburst, is running at 40 miles per hour, posing a threat to not only Border Roads Organisation personnel but also the surviving roads.

[ramana]

Zeenews had a segment on the Leh disaster. Ghulam Nabi Azad said this is a once in 20 year event. And GOI will spare no effort to bring back Leh.

[Airavat]

Daily Excelsior

Two IL-76 and four AN-32 aircraft from Chandigarh landed here this afternoon with 125 rescue and relief personnel of National Disaster Response Force, medicines, generators, tents, emergency rescue kits, blankets, dry food and other items to meet the immediate requirement of those affected. Over 400 persons including 30 Army men are still believed to be missing and efforts are being made with the help of Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), State Police and other para-military forces to trace them.

In the meanwhile, reports said that an Army unit and Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre at Nubra too suffered damages in the nature’s fury and efforts are being made to confirm loss of lives as unconfirmed reports indicated that about 17 persons got killed in the area.

Lt General, S K Singh, the General Officer Commanding, Fire and Fury Corps conducted aerial survey followed by a visit to disaster struck areas before pressing rescue teams to recover the bodies as well as trapped persons. According to the Defence Ministry spokesman, 400 civilians and 33 Army jawans of Bihar Regiment were still believed to be missing and efforts were being made to trace them. Even a contractor said that he had engaged 150 labourers for carrying out developmental works and all of them were missing from Shyong village where he had lodged them.

The Chief Controller (Research and Development) DRDO, W Selvamurthy, along with a team of experts also arrived here to look at ways to prevent further damage to the town in the event of more heavy rains there, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile the people in Jammu who led the Amarnath movement have formed a relief organization to collect donations for those affected by the cloudburst:

Sewa Bharti in a meeting of social organisations stressed the need for providing immediate relief to the victims of cloud burst in Leh. The meeting also constituted the Ladakh Apda Sahita Samiti and Ladakh Apda Sahita Kosh to provide immediate relief to the victims in Leh, Ladakh.

Soon after its announcement Sahita Samiti J&K and Jai Kargil Jai Bharat Kosh donated Rs one lakh each to the Ladakh Apda Kosh. Brig. (retd) Suchet Singh, a RSS leader will head the Samiti. He appealed the people throughout the nation to come forward in providing relief to the victims of Leh tragedy by donating in the account number of the Ladakh Apda Kosh 194800010157923. Dr Kuldeep Gupta of Sewa Bharti was appointed secretary of the Samiti while Abhay Pargal will be its treasurer. Meanwhile, a group of Samiti volunteers left for Leh today to provide aid to the victims.

Some other articles from the paper:
A week ago Leh was so different

Ladakhi students in Jammu mourn

[Raghavendra]

Grim Situation
Rescuers battle odds to look for 500 missing, toll rises to 150 http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rescu ... 50/657664/


More IAF aircraft head for Leh with relief supplies http://sify.com/news/More-IAF-aircraft- ... hcdbh.html

[ramana]

Those C-130s could have been useful now.

[jamwal]

Some family members are there. Most of the phone links are down and they managed a phone call to inform that they are safe. But a lot of people there need immediate help.

[krisna]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-wo ... ay/657887/

It was a 15-minute fury of nature that turned Choglumsar’s world upside down. “

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... pstoryview

The official Press Trust of India reported Monday that 81 foreigners and six tour guides were rescued by the air force from Zanskar Valley. The IAF carried out a record 62 sorties by Chetak helicopters in five-and-a-half hours to bring back the campers and tour guides, according to the report. They had been stuck there since the flooding hit the night of August 5.

Even as the military conducts rescues, some of its own are among the missing. The state-run media said 26 army personnel are still unaccounted for and could be buried under 20-to-25 feet of mud.

About 6,000 soldiers were deployed in the relief efforts, Indian army Lt. Col. J.S. Brar said. Helicopters have also been called in as damaged roads made it difficult to reach the affected areas.

various reports mention of chetak/AN-32 and Il-76 helicopters being used

RIP for all Indians who perished and the brave jawans trying to help others

[Raghavendra]

Timely warning saved over 100 Armymen, 26 missing near LoC http://www.indianexpress.com/news/timel ... oc/658320/

Leh flash floods death toll 165 http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/a ... epage=true

[Raghavendra]

Walking the valley of death http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.co ... y-of-death

[YaoMing]

I was in Leh for 10 days just 2 weeks ago, and this place is definitely one of the most beautiful places on earth. The local Ladakhi people that I met were all as equally amazing. I fell in love with Leh and the rest of Ladakh, and I would love to help out in whatever little way I can....

Is there any place that we can send supplies or donations to help the people of Leh and the surrounding areas?

So far, the only site I've been linked to is this one:
http://www.savethechildren.in/component ... n-leh.html

Anyone have any positive or negative opinions/experiences with this NGO?

Thanks

[putnanja]

Army seeks financial help from India Inc to rebuild Leh school

The Ladakh Scouts of the Army has sought financial assistance from India [ Images ] Inc for re-building the lone Army school in Leh which has been badly damaged by the cloudburst.

The Army school, which caters to nearly 200 students, was hit by hundreds of boulders that rolled down the hill along with slush on the night of August 5. The classrooms are now filled with slush and boulders.

The hostel too has been severely hit. "There has been heavy damage to the school building and infrastructure as well as to our boys and girls hostel," said Commanding Officer Colonel Anil Beniwal.

Phiang is nearly 20 kms from Leh city. "One thing that I would request, if it is possible, that the corporates under their social responsibility scheme could help us. We are in far-flung areas and people here are poor. It will be very good if somebody can come up and help us in that regard," Colonel Beniwal said.

Asked what kind of help is being sought, he said, "Somebody could come here and assess it for us or for themselves and can give us whatever financial assistance and help is required."

Ladakh Scouts, earlier a paramilitary force and now under the Army, has also been hit by the cloudburst.

While one of its jawans has died, two are missing. According to officials, the toll could have been much higher without the rows of trees that formed a barrier between its mess, quarters and the tumbling boulders.

Phiang village has also been hit badly with 17 people losing their lives because of the cloudburst. The force was able to rescue many villagers.

One of the most damaged buildings in the village is a 400-year-old Imam Barah, a portion of which has been washed away.

[krisna]

disaster tourism

According to official statistics maintained by the PMO, even as around 1,700 tourists are in Ladakh waiting to be evacuated to Srinagar or New Delhi, 100 new arrivals have been registered.

Though authorities have not maintained any profiles of these tourists, officials feel these are “disaster tourists”, who get drawn to a site of natural calamity like earthquakes, hurricanes or tsunamis. This is a well-known international phenomenon which was on display in Thailand in 2004 after the tsunami, in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and this year after the Haiti earthquake.

[krisna]

135 amrikans in Leh

"I think we're aware right now of about 135 US citizens affected by the floods. We have no reports
related stories of deaths or injuries," State Department spokesman P J Crowley said.

Hope they are just tourists only.

[krisna]

Dil se for Leh victims

[krisna]

Leh tragedy: 'Send donations directly to us'

"Many agencies and individuals are raising funds for the disaster. While many of these efforts are well-meaning, some may have less than noble intentions," cautioned LAHDC chief executive councillorChering Dorjay in an appeal issued on Thursday.

Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council

[vera_k]

Sewa Bharti in a meeting of social organisations stressed the need for providing immediate relief to the victims of cloud burst in Leh. The meeting also constituted the Ladakh Apda Sahita Samiti and Ladakh Apda Sahita Kosh to provide immediate relief to the victims in Leh, Ladakh.

Looks like there's a blog here with updates from Leh: http://sevabharathi.blogspot.com/

Links to donate money are here (scroll down): Link

[Raghavendra]

Leh disaster declared a ''calamity of severe nature'' by Govt http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20100815/14 ... ty-of.html
Government has declared the Leh disaster as a "calamity of severe nature", allowing MPs to contribute Rs 50 lakhs from the MPLAD scheme towards relief in the cloudburst affected region.

[jamwal]

Will try

[Airavat]

PM visits Leh, 125cr relief

[jamwal]

It seems like Army is the only organisation that will be able to utilise the donations efficeintly. There is enough material, only problem right now is how to get it to people in remote places. Many of the road links were damaged and are being repaired.

[Raghavendra]

Vaishno Devi shrine board to help out Leh victims http://sify.com/news/Vaishno-Devi-shrin ... cedgf.html