Rescue, relief operations underway after bridge with vehicles on Dehradun-Rishikesh highway collapses

Dehradun [Uttarkhand] (India), August 27 : Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has started the relief and rescue operation after a part of a bridge on the Dehradun-Rishikesh highway collapsed due to continued heavy rains on Friday.
In the visuals from the accident site, it could be seen that there were vehicles on the Dehradun-Rishikesh highway when a portion of the bridge collapsed into the Jakhan river near Rani Pokhari village.
As per Dehradun District Magistrate R Rajesh Kumar, traffic on the route has been halted.
"Rescue and deep-diving teams of SDRF have reached the site where parts of a bridge collapsed on Dehradun-Rishikesh Highway in Ranipokhari earlier today. SDRF has started its rescue and relief operation," said Kumar.
Continuous heavy downpour in Uttarakhand has caused waterlogging in several parts of the state, damaging roads and other infrastructure.
Earlier today, Rishikesh-Devprayag, Rishikesh-Tehri, and Dehradun-Mussoorie roads were also closed due to landslides at many places due to heavy rains for the last three to four days.
Uttarakhand police have issued an advisory asking people to avoid travel to the area till the weather becomes normal.
Prior to that, the Maldevta-Sahastradhara Link road in the state also caved in and merged with a river following incessant rainfall in Dehradun. Uttrakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted an on-site inspection of Sahastradhara-Maldevta road and directed the District Magistrate Kumar to channelize the river and get the damaged part of the road repaired at the earliest.
Chief Minister Dhami also met the locals of that area and assured them that the work will be completed soon.
The weather department has issued a warning, forecasting heavy rain in the state. According to the meteorological department, heavy rain may occur over Nainital, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar, Bageshwar, and Pithoragarh.