Joshimath crisis: 11 more families moved to safe locations, say officials

Eleven more families in Joshimath were moved to safe locations on Saturday as the number of houses developing cracks in the sinking town rose to 603, officials said.

The number of families who have so far been evacuated stands at 65 with another 11 moving to temporary relief camps on Saturday from houses that had developed cracks, Chamoli district disaster management officer N K Joshi said.

Uttrakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Joshimath on Saturday to assess the situation on the ground, a day after he directed immediate evacuation of around 600 affected families.

The chief minister also visited houses in which huge cracks have appeared on the walls and ceilings.