NEW DELHI, June 23, 2013: There could be more than 500 bodies in the as-yet inaccessible parts of Kedarnath Valley alone, sources said on Saturday. Most of them perished out of hunger and illness as food packets couldn't reach them.

Most of these bodies were sighted around Junglechetti and Rambada in the valley where people had run into the forests and hills to escape the deluge. They had broken into small groups and scattered across a 30 sq km area, it was not easy to search and rescue them.

Survivors said they did not receive any food during the past five days even though tens of thousands of food packets were dropped across the affected parts of Uttarakhand by the authorities.

Sources in the security forces, which rescued close to 700 people from these inaccessible parts, said people stuck in these areas had suffered the most as they were completely cut off remaining inaccessible for days. They had no shelter to shield them from the weather and did not receive food as they were scattered all over. A combination of these factors meant that the sick, infirm and the elderly could not withstand five days of starvation.

"Mostly, the young survived. But many had to see their loved ones die a slow death in front of their eyes. It's worse than being swept away in the deluge. Survivors told us that they did not even receive a packet of biscuit in the days that they were stranded," said an ITBP officer part of the rescue operation in Kedarnath Valley.

Army and ITBP personnel had on Friday slithered down choppers to rescue people at Rambada and Junglechetti which had been completely cut off due to heavy rain and massive landslides. Forces had made a makeshift helipad to speed up rescue.

Sources said a cardinal mistake that many pilgrims committed while stranded in these cut-off areas was to wait for rescue. "Not being used to hills and fearing the unknown, people once stranded sat at one place waiting for rescue. In these jungles, they could not even be spotted from above. Had they walked and tried to cross over to the other side of the hill, many would have survived. These were also not very difficult terrains to trek but people panicked," said an ITBP officer.

Sources said several survivors in the Valley had trekked across the hills and were saved. "Some young men had trekked and survived on jungle produce, eating leaves of certain plants and drinking water from springs. But then it's difficult for older people to do and one needs great will power to do something like that," the officer added. The bodies are also posing difficulty in rescue as they have started decaying and an unbearable stench has spread over several patches in the region. It has also raised fears of an epidemic breaking out in the area and could affect local villagers. "We are also trying to rescue as many villagers as possible," said a senior ITBP officer.

Source: The Times of India, DT. June 23, 2013.