Leh, Aug 14: Army on Saturday said that it had restored key road links damaged by flash floods that hit the high-altitude trekking area of Ladakh. Sudden rain storms more than a week ago had triggered flash floods that killed 189 people and swept away buildings, roads and power cables in the Leh town.
 "The army was able to open Leh-Manali and Leh-Srinagar road for traffic after building seven bridges in less than a week,” the army spokesman S N Acharya said. The roads connected the ravaged town of Leh to Srinagar and Himachal Pradesh. "We are still looking for the missing people who may include foreigners,” Acharya added.
 As per official figures 400 people are still believed to be missing. Despite the devastation, tourism officials said foreign tourists who had booked treks before the disaster were still arriving in Ladakh. "Each flight to Leh brings in more foreigners and they immediately leave for trekking expeditions," a wire agency quoted top Tourism official as having said.Officials said as many as 2,000 foreigners were in the region when the disaster struck out of which five are reported to have died. The state government said it was still trying to establish the exact number and location of tourists via embassies and travel agencies.
 Those flood victims in remote areas have had little choice but to bunker down and wait for rescue after roads and trekking trails in remote areas were washed away.
Dalai Lama prays for Leh, Pak
 Meanwhile, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Saturday prayed for the victims of flash floods in Leh town, a wire agency quoted Dalai Lama’s close aide as having said. 
 Expressing his distress, the Nobel laureate participated in a mass prayer organised at the Tsuglagkhang temple at McLeodganj. He also offered condolences to the surviving family members. He said the Dalai Lama also prayed for victims of natural disasters in Pakistan and Russia.

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