Visual explainer of cloudburst tragedy in Uttarkashi
advertisementAn analysis of the initial videos reveals that the first wave of the torrent hit Dharali village at a speed of nearly 43 km per hour, demolishing, sweeping away and burying many hotels, restaurants, homestays, shops, and residential homes on its way.
Uttarakhand's disaster management department assesses damage to 25-30 buildings, its secretary, Vinod Kumar, told Aaj Tak TV.
A Shiva temple, Kalp Kedar, situated on the bank of the Bhagirathi river appears to be among the buildings buried under the debris, as per video footage analysed by India Today.According to the state government, the mudslide in Kheer Gad nullah was triggered by a cloudburst in the upper reaches of the Gangotri Himalayan range.
Dharali village is located on the way to the pilgrimage site of Gangotri, which is thronged by lakhs of Shiva devotees each year. It is situated just a few kilometres away from the popular off-beat tourist destination of Harshil.
Dharali's proximity to the Bhagirathi river, Gangotri, snowcapped mountains, and hiking trails has boosted its significance on the tourism map and has led to the construction of many hotels, resorts and homestays in the village in the last 10 years.RESCUE OPERATIONA team of the Indian Army from a nearby camp reached the site immediately after the incident and launched a rescue operation. Civil rescuers from the state disaster management authority was unable to reach the village by later Tuesday afternoon due to heavy rains and road closures, said the state government official Vinod Kumar.'Rescuers are trying to reach the site. But at the moment, they are stranded on the way. Our priority is to first evacuate those who have survived. Modern equipment and tools will be used to search for those trapped below the debris,' he said.- EndsMust Watch
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