PM, Sonia to visit Kedarnath to assess damage

New Delhi  : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are to fly to Uttarakhand Wednesday to assess the damage caused by the torrential rains and flash floods in the temple town of Kedarnath.

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters that the prime minister and Congress president were briefed in the morning about the havoc caused by heavy monsoon rains and flash floods in Uttarakhand.

“The prime minister and Congress chief are going to do an aerial survey of Kedarnath in the afternoon,” said Shinde.

According to Shinde, the number of deaths stands at 69, while 11,000 stranded pilgrims and tourists have been rescued so far.