The landslides formed a one km crater which turned into a lake with water from Mandakini river gushing in.

Incessant downpour and landslides have thrown normal life in the Garhwal hills out of gear extensively damaging roads, snapping communication links and stranding hundreds of pilgrims bound for Kailash-Mansarovar.

Subhash Nagar and Naigwar villages near Gopeshwar in Chamoli district were facing serious threat following landslide and overflowing of water, officials said.

Remote villages in Rudraprayag district like Kalimath, Rausi and Kabilatha in Okhimath Tehsil were also in grip of landslides.

Hundreds of people, including pilgrims and tourists, were stranded in the continued heavy rains and landslides in the hill districts of Garhwal division sinceyesterday.

Several houses have been damaged and some of them washed away in the heavy rains.

Pounding rains and mudslides continued in most of the places in the Garhwal hills forcing about 500 people, including 120 pilgrims of different batches and to make unscheduled halt at different places.

Uttaranchal Development Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal said 200 people were stranded across the Sino-Indian border, while remaining pilgrims had been stranded in Indian territory on way to Kailash-Mansarovar in Tibet.