The Indian Army has reached the Dharali area near Harsil in Uttarkashi district to carry out rescue operations after a devastating cloudburst washed away an entire village
Houses being swept away in a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst at Dharali. Pic/PTI
A cloudburst led to flash floods in the high altitude villages of Dharali on the way to Gangotri in Uttarkashi's Uttarakhand on Tuesday with several houses damaged or swept away in the raging waters and at least four people killed, officials said, reported the PTI.
Dharali is the main stopover on way to Gangotri and home to many hotels, restaurants and home stays.
The devastating flash floods came in the wake of a cloudburst somewhere in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga river, locals said, according to the PTI.
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.
"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," Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on X.
"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," he said.
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, as per the PTI.
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."
Meanwhile, the Indian Army has reached the Dharali area near Harsil in Uttarkashi district to carry out rescue operations after a devastating cloudburst washed away an entire village.
"A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the Kheer Gadh area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement," Surya Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X.
(with PTI inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
