Communications are down with phones and cellphone towers possibly affected so satellite phones are the only means of communication.
The Indian Air Force managed to clear the runway of mud and Two IL-76 and four An-32 aircraft from Chandigarh landed at the Leh Airport Saturday afternoon with 125 rescue and relief personnel of National Disaster Response Force, medicines, generators, tents and emergency rescue kits, a defence spokesman said.
According to a Washington Post article:
Nearly 2,000 foreign tourists were in Ladakh, a popular destination for adventure sports enthusiasts, when a rare powerful thunderstorm triggered floods and mudslides on Friday, burying homes and toppling power and telecommunication towers. There were no immediate reports of casualties among foreigners.
Gushing waters swept away houses, cars and buses in a 60-square mile (150-square kilometer) swath in and around the town, Khoda said.
Police and soldiers rescued more than 150 people, including 100 foreign tourists, mostly Europeans, stranded in Pang village northeast of Leh, army spokesman Lt. Col. J.S. Brar said in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Will be watching this story and see how we can help. Please see pictures on Flickr from Leh to see how beautiful the place is.
First published at http://indianbrain.amplify.com/2010/08/07/flash-floods-in-beautiful-leh-india-kills-over-115-a-few-hours-ago/
