A cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Dharali area on Tuesday afternoon triggered massive flash floods, leaving at least four people dead and many others missing, including several Army personnel. The flood waters swept away several houses, hotels, and homestays in the village, which lies on the route to the famous Gangotri pilgrimage site. 

An eyewitness told The Indian Express that when they heard a loud noise coming from the Kheer Ganga area, they started filming. What they saw next was shocking. A strong wave of water rushed down, carrying debris with it. They tried shouting to warn others, but no one could hear them. It was only when they started whistling that people began to notice. Some were able to escape, but sadly, many were caught in the flood, the eyewitness said.

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8-10 Indian Army personnel missing, rescue operations underway

In a troubling development, 8 to 10 Indian Army personnel have been reported missing from a camp in the lower Harsil region. The cloudburst occurred around 1:40 pm, bringing sudden destruction. Despite its own personnel being affected, the Army is leading rescue operations in the area, according to ANI.

Emergency teams from the police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Army have been deployed.  Additionally, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has sent a 16-member team, equipped with more backup. Search and rescue operations are underway, focused on locating survivors and retrieving bodies.

Providing an update on the situation, Mohsen Shahedi, DIG, NDRF, said, “As per the information received, four people have lost their lives and over 50 people are reported missing. Flash floods were also reported in two places in Harsil and Sukhi Top. Around 11 Army jawans are reported missing in Harsil. There have been no casualties in Sukhi Top… Rishikesh-Uttarkashi Highway is affected, which is why the movement is very slow. Due to road blockage at several places, teams are facing difficulties in reaching the spot. Our teams are ready in Dehradun to airlift the affected people…”

Blocked roads are being cleared using JCB machines after landslides hit several spots along the Uttarkashi-Harsil route.

IMD predicts ‘isolated heavy rainfall’ this week

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a five-day weather warning for Uttarakhand, forecasting “isolated heavy rainfall” and thunderstorms across the state from August 6 to 9. 

Additionally, the IMD has issued orange and yellow alerts for several regions, warning of potential flash floods and landslides, particularly in hilly areas. While light to moderate rainfall is expected across the state each day, districts such as Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar are likely to witness heavy to very heavy rain on August 6.

Dehradun, Nainital, Champawat, and Pauri may also experience intense showers. Thunderstorms with lightning and very intense spells are likely throughout the week. Isolated heavy rain is forecast in parts of Dehradun, Pauri, Nainital, Bageshwar and Champawat on subsequent days, according to the IMD.

All government and private schools closed

In light of heavy rain alerts and safety concerns, all government and private schools upto class 12, including Anganwadi centres in Pauri district, will remain closed on August 6, according to the District Disaster Management Authority.

CM Dhami calls the situation ‘distressing’

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who was visiting Andhra Pradesh at the time, immediately returned to Dehradun after hearing about the disaster. He chaired an emergency meeting at the State Emergency Operation Centre to assess the situation and supervise rescue efforts. “Our priority as of now is to save lives,” he said.

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Hotels and guesthouses washed away

People living in the area said the destruction was massive. Around 20 to 25 hotels and guesthouses were completely swept away. Many other buildings were badly damaged or destroyed, leaving several people without homes and stuck with nowhere to go, according to PTI.

The historic Kalp Kedar temple, situated near the Kheer Ganga river, has once again been buried under debris brought by the flood. According to locals, this temple had previously remained underground for years, with only its tip visible due to an earlier natural disaster, the news agency reported.