Uttarakhand floods: schools will be closed till Thursday

As heavy rains continue to lash Uttarakhand, eight people have lost their lives in the resultant floods.

The hill state has been experiencing heavy, incessant showers with 850 mm of rain being recorded in the last 72 hours.

The Met department has sounded a 24-hour weather alert, predicting extremely heavy to very heavy rain throughout the state.

Rail and road transport has been badly affected. The national highway connecting Chardham has been blocked because of landslides in Kumaon and Garhwal areas. Trains from Kathgodam have been stopped because railway tracks have been washed away.

All the rivers are flowing above the danger mark in Rishikesh and Haridwar.

The government has ordered all schools to be closed till tomorrow.