Dozens missing as heavy rain, landslides hamper rescue efforts
Heavy rain and blocked roads hampered rescue efforts in India's Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, a day after sudden flooding and landslides killed four people and left dozens missing.
Teams of army and disaster force rescuers struggled to reach Dharali village, a popular tourist spot that serves as a pit-stop before climbing to the Hindu pilgrimage town of Gangotri, in Uttarkashi district, as landslides blocked a major highway and heavy rain continued to pelt the region, local media and authorities said.
"The number of missing persons is unknown, however the relief efforts have continued through the night. We are trying to rescue people and take them to safety," Harshavardhan, an army colonel leading rescue efforts, said in an X post shared by the Indian army.
Roads leading to the affected areas have either caved in or blocked by boulders, making access difficult, Prashant Arya, a local official in Uttarkashi, told Reuters.
Mobile and electricity towers were also washed away in the flood waters, making connectivity difficult, leading authorities to give rescue workers satellite phones.
The army camp in Harsil, 4km from the flooded village of Dharali, was also hit by flash floods and eleven army personnel were missing, NDTV news channel said.
"Additional army columns along with tracker dogs, drones, logistic drones, earthmoving equipment, etc have been moved ahead to supplement the resources at Harsil to hasten the efforts," the army's central command said in a post on X.
Around 130 people were rescued by Tuesday night, the chief minister of Uttarakhand state, Pushkar Singh Dhami, told news agency ANI, adding that army helicopters were on standby to provide supplies to those stranded in the affected areas.
TV news channels showed floodwaters and mud surging down a mountain and crashing into the village, sweeping away houses and roads as people ran for their lives.
The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister's office.
Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change.
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Indian army races to find 50 missing after deadly Uttarakhand floods
However, the assessment of the number missing has been reduced as soldiers and rescue teams reached marooned individuals. Around 100 people were reported as unaccounted for late on Tuesday. 'The search for the missing is ongoing,' said Mohsen Shahedi from the National Disaster Response Force. Videos broadcast on Indian media showed a terrifying surge of muddy water sweeping away multi-storey apartment blocks in the tourist region on Tuesday afternoon. Shahedi said more than 50 people were missing from Dharali, while 11 soldiers were unaccounted for from the nearby downstream village of Harsil. 'Additional army columns, along with army tracker dogs, drones, logistic drones, earthmoving equipment etc., have been moved... to hasten the efforts,' the army said. Military helicopters were flying in essential supplies, it said, as well as picking up those stranded after roads were swept away even though rain and fog made flights difficult. 'Unimaginable scale' Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the flood was caused by an intense 'cloudburst' of rain and that rescue teams had been deployed 'on a war footing'. Several people could be seen in videos running before being engulfed by the waves of debris that uprooted entire buildings. Suman Semwal told the Indian Express newspaper that his father saw the flood hitting Dharali with a 'rumbling noise' from a village uphill. What he saw was on an 'unimaginable scale', he said. 'They tried to scream, but could not make themselves heard,' Semwal told the newspaper. 'The people couldn't comprehend what was happening. The flood waters struck them in 15 seconds.' A large part of the town was swamped by mud, with rescue officials estimating it was 15m deep in places, swallowing some buildings entirely. Residential buildings partially submerged in sludge after a cloudburst caused a massive mudslide in India's Uttarakhand state. Photo / AFP Images released by the army and government rescue teams showed men heaving rocks by hand and earth movers removing debris to clear roads. Government weather forecasters said on Wednesday that all major rivers in Uttarakhand were flowing above danger levels. 'Residents have been moved to higher reaches in view of rising water levels due to incessant rains,' the army said. The UN's World Meteorological Organisation said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a 'distress signal' of what is to come as climate change makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable. Hydrologist Manish Shrestha said the 270mm of rain that fell within 24 hours counted as 'an extreme event'. Shrestha, from the Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, said such rain in mountains had a 'more concentrated' impact than on flatter lowlands. 'Such intense rainfall events are becoming increasingly common, and could be linked to climate change.' Climate activist Harjeet Singh, from the Satat Sampada Climate Foundation in New Delhi, said 'unscientific, unsustainable, and reckless construction' in the name of development were exacerbating the problem and 'destroying our natural defences'. 'Global warming is super-charging our monsoons with extreme rain. 'The devastating loss... must be our final wake-up call.' – Agence France-Presse
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Dozens missing as heavy rain, landslides hamper rescue efforts
Rescuers assist a man, amid flash floods, in Dharali, Uttarakhand, India. Photo: Reuters Heavy rain and blocked roads hampered rescue efforts in India's Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, a day after sudden flooding and landslides killed four people and left dozens missing. Teams of army and disaster force rescuers struggled to reach Dharali village, a popular tourist spot that serves as a pit-stop before climbing to the Hindu pilgrimage town of Gangotri, in Uttarkashi district, as landslides blocked a major highway and heavy rain continued to pelt the region, local media and authorities said. "The number of missing persons is unknown, however the relief efforts have continued through the night. We are trying to rescue people and take them to safety," Harshavardhan, an army colonel leading rescue efforts, said in an X post shared by the Indian army. Roads leading to the affected areas have either caved in or blocked by boulders, making access difficult, Prashant Arya, a local official in Uttarkashi, told Reuters. Mobile and electricity towers were also washed away in the flood waters, making connectivity difficult, leading authorities to give rescue workers satellite phones. The army camp in Harsil, 4km from the flooded village of Dharali, was also hit by flash floods and eleven army personnel were missing, NDTV news channel said. "Additional army columns along with tracker dogs, drones, logistic drones, earthmoving equipment, etc have been moved ahead to supplement the resources at Harsil to hasten the efforts," the army's central command said in a post on X. Around 130 people were rescued by Tuesday night, the chief minister of Uttarakhand state, Pushkar Singh Dhami, told news agency ANI, adding that army helicopters were on standby to provide supplies to those stranded in the affected areas. TV news channels showed floodwaters and mud surging down a mountain and crashing into the village, sweeping away houses and roads as people ran for their lives. The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister's office. Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change.
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- NZ Herald
Flash flood in India's Himalayas leaves 4 dead, 100 missing in Uttarakhand
A flash flood in India's Himalayan region killed at least four people, with around 100 missing. Photo / AFP Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Already a subscriber? Sign in here Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. A flash flood in India's Himalayan region killed at least four people, with around 100 missing. Photo / AFP A flash flood driving a torrent of mud smashed into a town in India's Himalayan region on Tuesday, killing at least four people with around 100 others missing. The roaring waters tore down a narrow mountain valley, demolishing buildings as the flood barrelled into the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state. 'It is a serious situation,' Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. 'We have received information about four deaths and around 100 people missing. We pray for their safety.' Videos broadcast on Indian media showed a terrifying surge of muddy water sweeping away multi-storey apartment blocks in the tourist region.
