Uttarakhand: At least 4 killed as devastating flashfloods hit Dharali, more feared buried in debris

UTTARKASHI (UTTARAKHAND) — A cloudburst led to flash floods in the high altitude villages of Dharali on the way to Gangotri on Tuesday with the raging waters sweeping away several houses and leaving at least four people dead, officials said.

Dharali is the main stopover on way to Gangotri and home to many hotels, restaurants and home stays.

The devastating flashflood came in the wake of a cloudburst somewhere in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga river, locals said.

According to initial reports, at least four people have died, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya told reporters. An Army team from Harsil has been rushed to the spot.

About 10-12 people could be buried under the debris, Rajesh Panwar, a villager, told PTI. He said 20-25 hotels and homestays may have been washed away.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to people affected by the flashfloods and assured that no stone is being left unturned in providing assistance.

"I express my condolences to the people affected by this tragedy in Dharali, Uttarkashi. Along with this, I pray for the well-being of all the victims. I have spoken to Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami ji and obtained information about the situation. Under the supervision of the state government, relief and rescue teams are engaged in every possible effort. No stone is being left unturned in providing assistance to the people," he wrote on X in Hindi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and ordered the dispatch of seven rescue teams to assist the affected people.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the Centre and the state government are working in tandem, taking all possible measures to save precious lives.

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"Have been seeing disturbing visuals from Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) on the devastation caused by flash floods. Praying for the well-being of the people affected by the tragedy...," he wrote on X.

A 16-member Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) team has reached Dharali from its 12th battalion stationed at Matli in Uttarakhand while another unit of the same strength has also been asked to rush to the cloudburst site, officials said.

Chief Minister Dhami said he is constantly in touch with senior officials and the situation is being closely monitored.

"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," he said in a post on X.

There was widespread panic in the neighbouring villages following the flashflood.

Videos from the area showed a torrent of muddy water and silt rushing down the slopes towards settlements along the banks of the river. People could be heard screaming in fear.

In one video, people can be heard in the video gasping for breath and trying to call their relatives in affected areas to find out if they were alright.

A voice is heard in the video saying, "Everything is finished."