Army Boosts Rescue Efforts In Flood-Hit Dharali, Uttarkashi
According to the Indian Army, over 225 Army personnel including infantry and engineering teams are on ground for search, rescue, and relief tasks. Combat engineers have reached Dharali to aid in clearing debris and restoring mobility. As of 3 pm, 7 teams of the Indian Army are operating with Reeco Radar near Tekla while search and rescue dogs are deployed at Harsil; more are en route from Remount and Veterinary Centres.
As per the Indian Army, military helipad at Harsil is operational. Three civil helicopters launched from Sahastradhara in coordination with SDRF have successfully landed at Bhatwari and Harsil for casualty evacuation and relief material delivery. Chinook, Mi-17, ALH helicopters are on standby at Jolly Grant, Chandigarh, and Sarsawa for troop and material airlift - awaiting tasking clearance. As of 3 pm, there are three confirmed fatalities while over 50 persons are reportedly missing (as per the Civil Administration).
According to the statement, a total of 9 personnel are also missing, including one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and 8 jawans. In a significant infrastructural damages, key road stretches near Bartwari, Linchigad, and Gangrani have been washed away, severely affecting movement.
Civil helipad at Dharali remains non-functional due to a mudslide. The Indian Army remains committed to assisting local administration in rescue and relief efforts under challenging terrain and weather conditions.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that around 190 people have been rescued from the Dharali area, following a devastating cloudburst that triggered massive flash floods and landslides in the area.
Chief Minister Dhami reaffirmed that both the Centre and the state government are fully committed to making arrangements for the victims of the incident, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also assured to provide all possible help. He stated that the disaster has hit the entire Dharali.
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'Mountain is still shifting': Rescuers battle rain & rubble in race against time in Uttarakhand's Dharali; 15 remain missing
DEHRADUN: Twenty-four hours after the flash flood that tore through Dharali village near Gangotri, rescue teams were still struggling to reach the epicentre of the devastation. Landslides, fractured roads and a washed-away bridge had reduced the approach to Dharali — once a remote but reachable hamlet — into a logistical nightmare for rescue workers fighting both weather and topography. By Wednesday afternoon, it had become clear that reaching those trapped or missing wasn't just about dispatching people and resources. The challenge also lay in getting there. Meanwhile, rescue teams already present in Dharali — including the Army, ITBP and SDRF — pulled out the body of 32-year-old Mahavir Singh Panwar from the rubble on Wednesday. A second body was recovered later in the day, while at least 15 people remain missing. A 30-metre-long bridge near Gangnani on the Gangotri National highway was swept away by the floodwaters, snapping access to several upstream villages including Dharali, Jhala, and Mukhba. Flash floods: SDRF officer says mountain is still shifting Among those stranded were key officials — the district magistrate and superintendent of police — who had set out to oversee the response effort. Multiple landslides blocked not just the main approach roads but also alternate routes. 'The mountain is still shifting,' said an SDRF officer. Inspector General (IG) of SDRF, Arun Mohan Joshi, who was among the first state govt officials to reach the disaster-hit village, said that the 'debris at the site was over 50ft high.' Joshi coordinated the airlift of two seriously injured Army personnel — including a Lt Colonel — from the flood-hit Army camp in Harsil to the Military Hospital in Dehradun. To add to the rescuers' woes, a temporary landslide-dammed lake formed at Harsil on Tuesday evening. Created by debris clogging the Mandakini Ghadera stream, the lake quickly grew into a concern of its own. By Wednesday, water was spilling over its edge, prompting teams from the irrigation department and Army to step in and begin drainage operations. Local residents had been evacuated to higher ground, the state emergency operation centre (SEOC) said in a statement. According to disaster management secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, teams from the Army, ITBP, SDRF, NDRF, and medical departments were on ground zero. Around 150 personnel from the Rajputana Rifles, 12 from the Ghatak Battalion, 100 ITBP jawans, and 40 Army men from Nelang Valley were working to assist the villagers. Two Chinook helicopters, along with IAF's C-295 and An-32 transport aircraft, were ready to be deployed as soon as weather conditions allowed.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
‘Situation is bad, will do whatever it takes to save lives. But it's a tough task'
Uttarakhand CM Puskhar Singh Dhami's chopper could land near disaster-hit Dharali only after five attempts on Wednesday. In an interaction with Kautilya Singh, the CM spoke about the current situation in the village and plans on how to take forward the rescue and relief ops. Excerpts: What is the present situation in Dharali? The area has got disconnected from the district headquarters. Due to heavy rains and landslides, roads leading to Dharali are damaged, so is an important bridge nearby. The helipad at Harshil is also hit, making heli operations even more difficult. To top it, communication networks have been disrupted. Power supply has snapped. The situation is adverse, but our rescue teams are putting their best efforts to save lives. It is a Herculean task. How many people are feared trapped in the debris? Some individuals have given wrong information that hundreds got trapped in the debris. This is completely wrong and misleading. According to our information, a total of 190 people were rescued, and 120 are from the right side of Dharali village area and 70 from the left. According to initial information, around five or six locals and some labourers might have got trapped under the debris. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo Two bodies were brought out. Going by fresh inputs, another dozen odd people might be trapped. Despite the hurdles, what is the progress of rescue ops? Teams from the Army, ITBP, SDRF, police and revenue department are carrying out rescue operations. Relief camps have been set up at Inter College Harsil, GMVN and Jhala. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to restore electricity and communication networks on a war footing. NIM and SDRF teams have begun constructing a temporary bridge at Limchagadh. At our request, the Centre has deployed two Chinooks and two MI-17 helicopters from Chandigarh, Sarsawa and Agra to Jolly Grant Airport early on Wednesday morning. Heavy machinery is being airlifted via Chinook helicopters to restore road connectivity. Around 125 Army personnel and 83 ITBP personnel are actively involved in rescue operations. BRO teams, including six officers and over 100 laborers, are working to clear blocked roads. Are there any tourists trapped at Dharali? So far, there is no information regarding tourists at Dharali. Besides, due to the monsoon, the number of pilgrims coming to Gangotri and other dhams has gone down considerably. I met the locals as well, but they did not give any information about tourists. There was a fair near the village on Tuesday, and it is said that around 100 to 150 people had gone there. With roads disconnected and helipad damaged, how do authorities plan to take the rescued people to hospital? This is a major challenge. We have planned a strategy to take the rescued persons from the Nelong side. A team of four doctors has already reached Harshil and efforts are on to bring them to Dharali at the earliest. Besides, a team of 13 specialists from Dehradun has been moved to Uttarkashi district hospital. A team of specialists has also been deployed at ITBP Matli and two more specialist doctors are scheduled to arrive at Uttarkashi on Thursday.
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Uttarkashi cloudbursts: Indian Army intensifies rescue and relief operations amid ongoing challenges
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army has mobilized troops to address the devastation caused by a severe cloudburst near Dharali in Uttarakhand's Harsil region, where 11 soldiers remain missing following flash floods. Mohsin Shahidi, DIG of the NDRF, said, "Eleven army soldiers are reported missing following yesterday's flash flood in the Uttarkashi region in Harsil." Over 225 Army personnel, including infantry and engineering teams, are conducting search, rescue, and relief operations. Combat engineers have reached Dharali to clear debris and restore mobility in the area, which remains cut off due to multiple road breaches and a collapsed bridge. The Army has deployed specialized resources, including seven teams equipped with Recco Radar near Tekla to locate those buried in the debris. Additionally, search and rescue dogs are active at Harsil, with more en route from Remount and Veterinary Centres.
