India to declare flood missing dead

India’s authorities say they will now declare dead a total of 136 people still missing following a flash flood in northern India earlier this month.

A huge chunk of a glacier fell into the Alaknanda river system in Uttarakhand state on February 7 triggering a massive flood that washed away parts of two hydropower plants, roads and bridges in the region.

At least 68 bodies have been recovered after the Himalayan region was hit by one of its worst tragedies in recent years, senior state disaster management official Piyoosh Rautela said.

Anyone still untraced will be declared dead to allow the government to start the process of compensating the families, Rautela said.

This was also being done as families have to deal with legal and property…