` ` We had to walk over dead bodies , '' says one resident . Severe flooding has left more than 50,000 people stranded in northern India . Police put the death toll at more than 500 but say they fear it will increase . Uttarakhand 's chief minister , Vijay Bahuguna , has described the disaster as a `` Himalayan tsunami . '' Many people are searching for those lost in the chaos .
` ` We had to walk over dead bodies , '' says one resident . Severe flooding has left more than 50,000 people stranded in northern India . Police put the death toll at more than 500 but say they fear it will increase . Many people are searching for those lost in the chaos .