Leicester, July 11, 2013: A relief appeal is being launched for the victims of the floods which have devastated the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Thousands of people have lost their homes and hundreds are missing, believed dead, after the worst monsoon rains in more than 80 years.

Many villages have been cut off as have many sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites.

Official figures are not yet clear about how many people have died or are missing. The death toll could be anywhere between 580 and 1,000, and a UN report states that more than 11,000 people are missing.

Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth is teaming up with the Gujarati Hindu Association of Leicester to raise money for the stricken families.

Maganbhai P Patel, president of the association, said: "Details of who many have died are difficult to come by as so many people are missing and communications are very difficult as it is such a remote and mountainous area.

"We are holding a public meeting on July 19 to see how we can best channel money to the families of those who have been killed and injured."

Uttarakhand is a popular state for Hindu worshippers to visit. The state has a number of significant pilgrimage sites, and Haridwar is a popular pilgrimage site for people from Leicester.

However, it is not known how many people from Leicester, or their families, have been affected by the floods.

Mr Ashworth said: "Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people have been killed, and thousands are missing. Homes, temples, road bridges and so many other key infrastructure sites have been destroyed by the floods.

"It's not clear just how many people have been affected by the floods, but rescue operations need as much help as possible.

"The Indian Army has had difficulty reaching certain mountainous areas in the state, and on Monday it was reported that rescue helicopters have had to halt their operations due to more rain."

He said several villages in Uttarakhand were on the verge of starvation being cut off from roads and are virtually inaccessible.

Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Pithoragarth were the worst-hit three districts cut off from rescue operations.

"I would urge people to donate in any way they can.

"Action Aid has launched an emergency appeal, but people can donate to any charity that has launched an appeal for Uttarakhand.

"I've also contacted a number of religious organisations in Leicester to appeal for help."

A public meeting is being held on Friday, July 19, at 7pm at Shree Mandhata Samaj Shahayak Mandal in Hartington Road, Spinney Hills.

Maganbhai D Patel, general secretary of the Gujarat Hindu Association of Leicester, said: "I appeal to all our members and community to donate generously. At this moment, all the affected people need our help."

Details of Action Aid's emergency appeal can be found at:

www.actionaid.org.uk

To donate money to help those affected by the floods, see:

www.oxfamindia.org

Source: Leicester Mercury, DT. July 11, 2013.