Chamoli (Uttarakhand), Feb 8 (IANS): The Indo-Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) is providing support to the villages cut off due to sudden flash floods in Chamoli district, officials said on Monday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a tweet said, "As Raini bridge was swept away by the flood, the ITBP personnel are now providing ration packets to the stranded people of about nine villages through choppers in Uttarakhand."

Meanwhile, the ITBP official said that five sorties carrying relief material (food packets, etc.) have already been sent to these villages.

The official said the ITBP has set up a field control station in the Lata village to oversee the supply of relief material to the cut off villages.

The official said that beyond the Raini bridge, which was swept away by the floods, there are a total of nine villages of which two -- Jungju and Juaguar are located 3 to 4.5 km from the road head.

The official said that choppers are dumping ration from Joshimath to the general area in Raini.

He said, the eighth battalion of the ITBP is arranging ration to be moved to the designated places through the teams which have contacted the locals of all villages and set up a control room there for future assistance.

The ITBP official also said that 202 people are still missing from several villages of the district.