Attempts to rescue people stranded by floods in the northern Indian hill state of Uttarakhand gathered pace Sunday even as the state's chief minister said that the death toll could reach higher than 1,000. Flash floods and landslides brought on by heavy monsoon rains on June 15 and 16 led to large scale devastation, with houses, roads and bridges washed away or flattened by mud and debris. Thousands of survivors were left stranded. A total of 12,000 people had been rescued on Sunday, according tothe federal Home Ministry. An estimated 90,000 people have been rescued so far. The total number of people confirmed dead stood at 680, an official at the Uttarakhand disaster management control room said.
