Uttarakhand flash floods: Helicopters rescue people stranded on key pilgrim route
With roads cleared as rain eased, rescue teams arrived in Dharali, where Tuesday's wall of water had submerged in sludge homes and cars in the village on the way to the Hindu pilgrim town of Gangotri.
Helicopters were carrying to safety those who had been stranded, the state's chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said in a post on X, adding, "The heli-rescue operation... started in the affected areas this morning."
Authorities said about 400 people stuck in Gangotri were being rescued by air, with nine army personnel and seven civilians among the missing.
But communication links with rescuers and residents remain disrupted, as mobile telephone and electricity towers swept away by the floods have yet to be replaced, officials said.
"We were stuck in the slush for about 20 minutes and were then rescued by the Indian army," said Amardeep Singh, an army contractor on a rescue mission when his team was hit by another flash flood in Harsil, the site of an army camp.
Earlier, army rescuers used their hands, as well as machinery, to shift boulders from roads turned into muddy, gushing rivers, visuals showed. More than 225 army personnel were drafted into the rescue, its Northern Command said on X.
"We saw Dharali falling before our eyes," said Anamika Mehra, a pilgrim headed for Gangotri when the flooding hit.
The hamlet of about 200 people in the state's Uttarkashi district stands more than 1,150 m (3,775 ft) above sea level on the climb to the temple town.
"We were very scared, but the locals helped us and the army reached the next day to rescue us," Mehra told news agency ANI.
Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change. In 2021, a flash flood swept away two hydroelectric projects to send water, rocks and debris into a valley, killing more than 200 in an event scientists said could have been unleashed by a large avalanche of glacier ice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Khaleej Times
Uttarakhand flash floods: Helicopters rescue people stranded on key pilgrim route
Indian rescuers used helicopters on Thursday to pluck to safety people stranded by flood waters in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand two days after a sudden inundation and landslide killed four people, while more than a dozen were still missing. With roads cleared as rain eased, rescue teams arrived in Dharali, where Tuesday's wall of water had submerged in sludge homes and cars in the village on the way to the Hindu pilgrim town of Gangotri. Helicopters were carrying to safety those who had been stranded, the state's chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said in a post on X, adding, "The heli-rescue operation... started in the affected areas this morning." Authorities said about 400 people stuck in Gangotri were being rescued by air, with nine army personnel and seven civilians among the missing. But communication links with rescuers and residents remain disrupted, as mobile telephone and electricity towers swept away by the floods have yet to be replaced, officials said. "We were stuck in the slush for about 20 minutes and were then rescued by the Indian army," said Amardeep Singh, an army contractor on a rescue mission when his team was hit by another flash flood in Harsil, the site of an army camp. Earlier, army rescuers used their hands, as well as machinery, to shift boulders from roads turned into muddy, gushing rivers, visuals showed. More than 225 army personnel were drafted into the rescue, its Northern Command said on X. "We saw Dharali falling before our eyes," said Anamika Mehra, a pilgrim headed for Gangotri when the flooding hit. The hamlet of about 200 people in the state's Uttarkashi district stands more than 1,150 m (3,775 ft) above sea level on the climb to the temple town. "We were very scared, but the locals helped us and the army reached the next day to rescue us," Mehra told news agency ANI. Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change. In 2021, a flash flood swept away two hydroelectric projects to send water, rocks and debris into a valley, killing more than 200 in an event scientists said could have been unleashed by a large avalanche of glacier ice.
Dubai Eye
a day ago
- Dubai Eye
India uses helicopters to speed up rescue efforts in flood-hit parts
Indian rescuers used helicopters on Thursday to pluck to safety people stranded by flood waters in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand two days after a sudden inundation and landslide killed four people, while more than a dozen were still missing. With roads cleared as rain eased, rescue teams arrived in Dharali, where Tuesday's wall of water had submerged in sludge homes and cars in the village on the way to the Hindu pilgrim town of Gangotri. Helicopters were carrying to safety those who had been stranded, the state's chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said in a post on X, adding, "The heli-rescue operation... started in the affected areas this morning." Authorities said about 400 people stuck in Gangotri were being rescued by air, with nine army personnel and seven civilians among the missing. But communication links with rescuers and residents remain disrupted, as mobile telephone and electricity towers swept away by the floods have yet to be replaced, officials said. "We were stuck in the slush for about 20 minutes and were then rescued by the Indian army," said Amardeep Singh, an army contractor on a rescue mission when his team was hit by another flash flood in Harsil, the site of an army camp. Earlier, army rescuers used their hands, as well as machinery, to shift boulders from roads turned into muddy, gushing rivers, visuals showed. More than 225 army personnel were drafted into the rescue, its Northern Command said on X. The hamlet of about 200 people in the state's Uttarkashi district stands more than 1,150 m above sea level on the climb to the temple town. "We were very scared, but the locals helped us and the army reached the next day to rescue us," Mehra told news agency ANI. Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Watch: 413 pilgrims in India rescued via zipline as flash floods continue
A flash flood washed away a large part of the trekking route in the Tangling area along the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra route, leaving hundreds of pilgrims stranded. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) 17th Battalion rescued 413 pilgrims using a rope-based traverse crossing technique and evacuated them to safer locations, said an official. Responding to a requisition from DC Kinnaur, #ITBP has deployed a rescue team under AC/GD Sameer with mountaineering & RRC equipment after two makeshift bridges on the Kinner Kailash Yatra route were washed away due to incessant rains, leaving several yatris stranded. #Himveers — ITBP (@ITBP_official) August 6, 2025 After receiving a distress call this morning, ITBP and NDRF teams were mobilised to continue rescue operations. ITBP said it remains committed to supporting the district administration and other agencies in the relief efforts. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a weather warning at 6.30 am today, forecasting light to moderate rainfall at most places in Himachal Pradesh, with a few spells of intense to very intense rainfall likely in the districts of Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, and Mandi. Heavy and continuous rainfall has disrupted normal life in Shimla, leading to the closure of most educational institutions in the district. Himachal Pradesh has reported a total of 194 deaths during the monsoon season from June 20 to August 5 this year, according to a report by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). The report, "Cumulative Statement Showing Damage During Monsoon Season-2025", details the significant human and property losses across the state. According to the SDMA report, a total of 108 deaths were directly related to rain-triggered incidents. The SDMA report said that there were six deaths due to landslides, nine deaths from flash floods, 17 deaths from cloudbursts, 20 deaths from drowning, one death due to fire, 11 deaths due to snake bites, seven deaths due to electrocution, and 37 deaths due to other causes. The total death toll also includes 86 fatalities from road accidents across the state during the same period. The highest number of road accident deaths was reported in Mandi (19) and Shimla (12). The report from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) also notes significant damage to houses, with 194 fully damaged and 301 partially damaged.
