At least 5,000 killed in N. India flood

NEW DELHI - At least 5,000 people have been killed by flash flood in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand last week, said a government official on Sunday.

"At least 5,000 people must have been killed in the deluge that inflicted heavy damage on vast tracts of land especially in Kedarnath valley," disaster management minister Yashpal Arya told the media.

Rescuers and the military have rescued all the pilgrims stranded in the Kedarnath valley, Hindu the temple town which was the epicenter of the flood, described as Himalayan tsunami, which took by surprise local people and authorities last week.

The meteorological department has warned of more rains in the region from Monday. Some 19,000 people still remained stranded in three areas of the state, said Press Trust of India.