mass cremation of bodies recovered after devastating floods in the country's

New Delhi: India  began the mass cremation of bodies recovered after devastating  floods in the country's northern Himalayan region, government  officials said on Thursday, adding that hundreds of people were  still missing.

The floods, triggered by heavier than normal and early  monsoon rains, have killed at least 822 people and displaced  tens of thousands of inhabitants in Uttarakhand state, a popular  destination for Hindu pilgrims due to its shrines and temples.

The disaster has been dubbed a "Himalayan tsunami" by the  media due to the torrents of water unleashed in the hilly  region, which sent mud and boulders crashing down, burying  homes, sweeping away buildings, roads and bridges.

Eighteen bodies were cremated on Wednesday in the temple  town of Kedarnath - one of the worst affected areas - and at  least 40 would be cremated on Thursday, said a government doctor  in Guptkashi, some 40 km (25 miles) from Kedarnath.

Media reports said 600 bodies have been recovered from the  site of Kedarnath alone, but government officials could not  confirm this."Three of our doctors are currently in Kedarnath and they  are trying to help identify bodies which have been found in the  area," said Sunil Kumar Verma, one of a team of nine doctors  from the Uttarakhand health department.

Verma said Kedarnath was only accessible by helicopter.The disposal of corpses is important to eliminate the risk  of contaminating the water supply and outbreaks of diseases such  as diarrhoea and cholera.

An air force spokesman said helicopters had been dropping  items such as wood and clarified butter - essential materials  for Hindus to conduct their last rites.

Heavy rains over the last three days have hampered rescue  operations by the army and air force who have been evacuating  survivors marooned in and around the four temple towns of  Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri since June 15.Around 96,500 people have so far been evacuated by land and  air, said media reports.

Television channels have been  broadcasting dramatic pictures of desperate pilgrims scrambling  to get aboard helicopters.Government officials said around 350 people had been  reported missing, but added that it was likely that there were  many more.

"It's very difficult to know the real figures and the scale  of the disaster at the moment as many places are still blocked  and we are still struggling to get to all the affected areas,"  said an official with the National Disaster Management.  

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