India to take satellite images for probe on houses sinking in Uttarakhand

NEW DELHI, Jan. 8: India is to seek help of satellite images to look into buildings developing cracks and underground water emerging through fissures in roads and floors due to land subsidence in the country's northern hilly state of Uttarakhand.

Local media reported on Saturday that a couple of buildings have recently collapsed in parts of the state. Teams of the Indian army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have rushed to the crisis-hit Joshimath area of Uttarakhand.

Over 600 houses have developed cracks and hundreds of inhabitants have been relocated to makeshift shelter camps.

According to media reports, satellite images will help geoscientists to figure out the reasons behind the land subsidence.