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10 dramatic pictures from Uttarakhand today

Army and NDRF have launched all-out efforts to rescue stranded people in Uttarakhand. Here are 10 dramatic pictures of the rescue operation and destruction from the state.

  • The Indian Air Force has deployed an Mi-26 - the largest helicopter in the world - to augment rescue operations in Uttarakhand. The chopper, usually used to transport goods and troops, is now being used to maintain supply of aviation fuel, critical for other smaller choppers already that are already in service to evacuate people.
  • The army has launched its largest rescue and relief operation ever to help those stranded in the state. 45 choppers belonging to the Army and the Air Force are being used to air-lift and help stranded people.
  • Nearly 14,000 people are believed to be missing in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand and another 60,000 continue to be stranded. While more than 150 people are reported dead so far from the "Himalayan Tsunami" in the state, officials say the death toll could be in the thousands.
  • More than 10,000 people have so far been rescued in efforts led by the Army and the paramilitary forces, who are continuing with rescue operations against all odds.
  • Army Mountain Rescue Team used choppers for rescue and relief operations in the inaccessible areas in Uttarakhand.
  • The Army has so far rescued more than 14,400 people. Nearly 10,000 people are also being provided food and medical assistance. 40 relief camps have been set up for those evacuated, however, nearly 60,000 people still remain cut off.
  • Photo of an injured person being carried on a stretcher in Uttarakhand. Bad weather has made it tough for helicopters to land and evacuate pilgrims.
  • Dramatic pictures of jawans helping stranded tourists and pilgrims across a ferocious river in Uttarakhand. Ropes were used to ferry people across to safety.
  • All that is left of the famous Kedarnath temple, standing amid ruins in Kedar valley. All pilgrimage to Kedarnath-Badrinath have been stopped for at least three years. Yesterday, almost everyone from Kedarnath town - the epicenter of the devastation - was rescued. 17 more bodies were recovered from the holy town that now cannot be accessed by roads.
  • Roads leading to Kedarnath have been washed away by the raging waters, practically severing all connectivity to the pilgrim town where hundreds are still stranded, making rescue operations an uphill task for the Army.