By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Fifteen people were killed and 16 missing as heavy rains continued to wreak havoc in Uttarakhand during the the past 24 hours with many swollen rivers in Dehradun district bringing unprecedented devastation.
In a tragic incident in Parval area of Dehradun, eight people were killed and four went missing when the tractor on which they were travelling in was swept away in a swollen river. Eight bodies have been recovered by SDRF so far, police said. Two people however survived with injuries. The search for the remaining four persons is still continuing.
Elsewhere, cloudbursts in Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, triggered flash floods at number of places damaging houses, bridges, resorts and highways and inundating several low-lying areas. Five people were dead and 16 missing in these flashfloods, official reports said. The flashfloods occurred shortly before midnight with Sahasatradhara bearing the brunt of the disasters. A number of shops, resorts and hotels were badly damaged and nearly one dozen vehicles were washed away in the heavy floods in Sahastradhara area. Six people were missing in the area. Dozens of vehicles were swept away or damaged in the floods.
Two persons were also missing in Shikharfall area. Two people were dead near Jharipani area in Mussoorie. Two more swept away in a swollen nala near DIT in Dehradun. One person died in Kalsi area.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the affected areas and said all efforts are being made to rescue people and provide relief to the affected people.
Local police along with SDRF and NDRF remained busy in the affected areas. Nearly 900 people including 500 students were rescued or evacuated from different places in Dehradun.
Tapkeshwar temple was completed submerged in the swollen Tamsa river last night. Rivers like Rispana, Song, Asan, Bindal and Bandal were in spate.
All schools in Dehradun remained closed as precautionary step due to heavy rains and flash floods.
In Didihaat area of Pithoragarh district, one person identified as Manju Gaira died in house collapse. One person was killed and two injured when their vehicle was swept away in swollen Garudi Nala in Kaladhungi area of Nainital district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah said the centre would provide all help to the affected people.
