60,000 stranded in Uttarakhand, more than 100 dead

New Delhi:  With the weather improving after days of 

torrential rainfall, rescue operations are in full swing in

 Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. 60,000 people remain

 stranded; 102 have been killed.

Uttarakhand rescue operations are among army's largest ever

1. At least 102 people have been killed in Uttarakhand. Of these, 50 have died near the famous Kedarnath temple. "It is feared that loss of lives could eventually be much higher," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said today after surveying the ravaged areas by helicopter today. (Read PM's full statement)
2. More than 10,000 people have been rescued in efforts led by the army, the PM added. More than 5000 people remain stranded in the Kedarnath region and another 15,000 are stuck in Badrinath and nearby areas. (Pics: Army called in for relief)
3. PM has announced Rs. 1,000 crore relief package for Uttarakhand. He also announced Rs. 2 lakh ex-gratia for families who have lost someone in the floods and financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh to people who have lost their homes. (Here's how you can help)
4. 22 helicopters are being used to air-lift and help people stranded in areas around Kedarnath, said Junior Home Minister RPN Singh. The army will focus its efforts on Kedarnath tomorrow. Over 6,000 soldiers will be deployed across the affected region by Saturday. (Read: The Army's rescue plans for Kedarnath)
5. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said that the Kedarnath temple, which is covered in mud and slush, has not been damaged, but it will remain off-limits because the area around it has been torn apart. (See pics)
6. 60,000 people are stuck elsewhere in Uttarakhand, many of them pilgrims who wanted to visit the four religious sites or "Char Dham" in the state before the shrines were closed for the monsoon, which arrived two weeks early. 
7. Houses, multi-storied buildings, cars, bridges as well as roads have been swept away or badly damaged after rivers burst their banks. (Share your pics and videos here)
8. The government has suspended the annual Kailash Mansarovar yatra. "The pilgrims have been accommodated in various locations and the route will be opened again after things get normal," an official said.
9. Local officials said 40 relief camps have been set up to provide food, water and other aid to locals and tourists. Air force helicopters from different parts of the state are taking many of those rescued to the camps, with a control centre set up in the holy town of Badrinath. The Uttarakhand government has set up helplines: 0135-2716201, 2710925
10. In neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, 25 people have died.