Uttarakhand Cloudburst News: A major cloudburst near Dharali village in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand triggered devastating flash floods and a landslide on Tuesday, leading to the deaths of at least four people and leaving several others missing.
Rescue and relief efforts are underway, with the Indian Army, SDRF, NDRF, and local administration involved in large-scale operations across the affected zone.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have taken stock of the situation and are in touch with Uttarakhand CM Pushpar Singh Dhami.
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Here’s what we know so far:
- At approximately 1:45 PM, a cloudburst occurred in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga river, triggering sudden flash floods that swept through Dharali village, about 4 km from the Indian Army’s Harshil Camp.
- Dharali is a popular stop for pilgrims and tourists en route to Gangotri and is home to numerous hotels, restaurants, and homestays.
- The Indian Army deployed 150 personnel who reached the affected site within 10 minutes of the incident and began immediate rescue efforts.
- “So far, 15–20 individuals have been successfully evacuated, with the injured receiving prompt medical treatment at the Indian Army medical facility in Harshil,” the Army said in an official statement.
- Search operations are continuing to trace those feared buried or stranded.
- Initial inputs from locals and authorities paint a grim picture of the destruction. Rajesh Panwar, a local resident, told PTI, “About 10–12 people could be buried under the debris. Twenty to twenty-five hotels and homestays may have been washed away.”
- Dramatic visuals from the area showed torrents of muddy water, silt, and debris inundating the settlements.
- Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed the calamity in a post on X, saying, “The news of heavy losses due to cloudburst in Dharali (Uttarkashi) area is extremely sad and painful. SDRF, NDRF, district administration and other related teams are engaged on war footing in relief and rescue operations. I am constantly in touch with senior officials in this regard and the situation is being closely monitored. I pray to God for everyone’s safety,” Dhami said.
- Uttarakhand Police also posted an update urging residents to stay away from rivers. “Due to the rising water levels in Kheer Gadh in Dharali, Uttarkashi, reports of damage have been received in the Dharali market area. Police, Fire, SDRF, Army, along with other disaster relief and rescue teams, are engaged in relief and rescue operations at the scene,” the police said.
