Supreme Court asks Centre, Uttarakhand government to help flood victims

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the central and Uttarakhand governments to provide immediate relief to those affected by the devastating floods in the state.

The help should include food, drinking water, medicines and fuel, judges AK Patnaik and Ranjan Gogoi said.

The Apex Court bench said relief material must be provided to the affected and stranded people without any discrimination. Torrential rains and cloudburst over the weekend have caused widespread death and destruction in the hills of Uttarakhand, particularly around the highly revered Kedarnath shrine.

Officials have put the death toll at about 150 but unofficial sources say it could be much more.