In pictures: India floods rescue

Indian army personnel help stranded people cross a flooded river after heavy rains in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand 23 June 2013

Rescuers in northern India are making a concerted push to bring down 7,000 people still stranded in the mountains of the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel and local residents pull a rope to rescue stranded pilgrims on the other side of a river at Govind Ghat on 23 June 2013

Thousands of army, paramilitary and disaster management officials have been working for the past week to rescue and provide relief to those trapped in remote villages and settlements.

Stranded Indian pilgrims wait to be rescued on the side of a river at Govind Ghat on 23 June 2013

Pilgrims visiting holy sites were stranded after torrential downpours caused flash floods in the areas around popular holy sites. Many are still stranded as houses, roads and bridges were washed away in the torrential rain.

A stranded Indian pilgrim is transported across a river using a rope rescue system by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel in Govind Ghat on 23 June 2013

The way is treacherous and the rescue has been hampered by bad conditions. Some survivors have had to be winched to safety on ropes suspended over roaring waters.

Soldiers assist a woman carrying a child on her back during rescue operations in Govind Ghat in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on 23 June 2013

About 80,000 people have already been rescued but more than 600 have died and officials fear the toll could pass 1,000.

Indian defence personnel assist rescued civilians from the Gangotri area after being flown to safety on board an Indian Air Force Mi-17 transport helicopter at Dharasu in Uttarakhand

So extensive is the damage that even a week after the devastating floods and landslides, there is still no clarity on the number of people missing or dead.