Landslide in Uttarakhand village leaves houses damaged

Dehradun: About 80 people were rendered homeless when a massive landslide hit their village in the district damaging 12 houses, the Uttarakhand State Emergency Operation Centre here said on Friday.

The landslide on Wednesday also disrupted power supply to the village, Madarsu Majra Jakhan, in Vikasnagar area of Dehradun district, situated about 50 km from the city, it said.

Sixteen families comprising 80 people were affected by the landslide which damaged 12 houses, 10 completely and two partially, it said.

Even those partially damaged are not safe to live in, Vikasnagar Sub Divisional Magistrate Vinod Kumar, who visited the affected village on Thursday, said.

The affected people have been shifted to a temporary relief camp set up at a junior high school in Pasta, a community centre and a government inter college building in Langha, the SDM said.

Some of them are also staying with their relatives. The landslide occurred when the entire hill slope on which the village is situated moved downwards, he said An SDRF team is stationed in the village and adequate food items have been made available at the temporary shelters for the affected people, Kumar said.

District Magistrate Sonika, who visited Jakhan on Thursday for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, said a team of geologists will soon be sent to the village to carry out a geological survey of the village.

Officials have been asked to take care of the affected people and ensure they are not inconvenienced in any way, she said.