SHIMLA: United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday visited the flood ravaged sites in the tribal district of Kinnaur and the interior regions of Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh.

Ms. Gandhi during her aerial survey halted at Rekong Peo, district headquarters of Kinnaur, and interacted with the people affected, local farmers and even some of the stranded tourists.

Later in a brief interaction with mediapersons on the Annandale helipad, Ms. Gandhi said roads and bridges have been badly affected. She said the farmers in the area are a worried lot and immediately need transportation of vegetables and fruit.

"They have been assured of all help," said the Congress president. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh were accompanyied the UPA leader. Ms. Gandhi said the Centre would help in building six bridges destroyed in the floods and would also aid two or three other Bailey bridges smashed by the gushing waters of the Sutlej.

Regarding the stranded tourists, she said only about 200 of them were left now in the higher reaches and they would be evacuated soon.

More helicopter services would be run for the transportation of the stranded tourists and also to help the farmers transport their produce out of Kinnaur, she said.

Ms. Gandhi returned to join her family at Wild Flower Hall later. Due to heavy mist after the pre-monsoon rains in Shimla her chopper could not land at Kalyani helipad which is much closer to the Oberois' Hotel at Wild Flower Hall, Mashobara, where she is holidaying with her family.

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