Dehradun/Mussoorie, Sept. 17 -- Torrential rains continued to batter the hills on Tuesday, claiming at least 15 lives in Uttarakhand - 13 of them in the state capital, Dehradun, which bore the brunt of the latest wave of rain-related disasters - triggering landslides, snapping vital road links, and causing widespread destruction across the region. At least 16 people were also reported missing in Dehradun. The Dehradun-Mussoorie road, a key route connecting the hill town to the state capital, suffered severe damage as parts of it were washed away. Landslides blocked all major access routes from Mussoorie to Dehradun, including the Jharipani, Chunakhala, and Kimadi roads, further isolating the affected areas. Nearly 3,000 tourists were stranded in Mussoorie, officials said. The two other deaths in Uttarakhand were reported from Nainital and Pithoragarh. According to the Dehradun disaster management officials, Sahastradhara, on the Dehradun-Haridwar highway, Maldevta, on the outskirts of the Doon Valley near Raipur, and Premnagar, which falls on Dehradun-Paonta Sahib route, were among the worst-hit areas in Tuesday's downpour. Though many parts of Uttarakhand are usually hit by rain-related disasters during monsoon every year, Dehradun is spared large-scale damage due to its flatter terrain. Around 20 people have died in the district since April in rain-related incidents, but Tuesday's single-day toll has been the deadliest to hit the region in a while. District disaster management officer Rishabh Kumar confirmed the death toll. "As rescue and relief operations are underway, the numbers may change," he said, adding that efforts to locate the missing and provide aid to stranded residents are ongoing. "Thirteen bridges, 10 culverts, two houses, and 21 roads were severely damaged," he said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for next four days. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, civic bodies and police were pressed into service. In the Premnagar area, eight labourers died and four went missing after being swept away in the swollen Tons (also known as Tamsa) river, originating from the Bandarpunch mountain at a height of 6,315 metres in Garhwal Himalayas. In Sahastradhara's Karligarh village, a suspected cloudburst pushed debris into at least 23 homes and several resorts, leaving six people missing. At least 400 people were rescued from there, officials added....