Uttarakhand rainfall: Dalai Lama expresses sadness on loss of life, offers his sympathy and support

DHARAMSALA, 20 Oct: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has expressed his deep sadness about the loss of life and damage to property, as well as the hardship caused to many people caused by heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand.

“I offer my condolences to those who have lost loved ones and pray for them. I also pray for the safety and well-being of people still reportedly trapped under debris and in flooded areas,” the octogenarian Tibetan leader has said in a missive addressed to Uttarkhand’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Acknowledging the rescue work underway in the North Indian state, the Dalai Lama added: “I very much appreciate that the State Government is engaged in rescue work and is doing its utmost to provide relief to people affected by this calamity.”

As a mark of solidarity with the people of Uttarakhand, the Tibetan Nobel Laureate has “asked the Dalai Lama Trust (DLT) to make a donation towards relief and rescue efforts.”

As many as fifty-two people have died while at least 11 remain missing after the state recorded record-breaking rainfall this week that led to floods, landslides and destruction of property.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has so far rescued more than 1,300 people from flood-affected areas in the state.