Over 1,000 rescued in Uttarkashi, search for missing continues on day 6

India Today

a day ago

Relief and rescue operations continue for the sixth consecutive day in the Dharali area of Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi following a devastating cloudburst that triggered flash floods and landslides, which claimed lives of five people. All stranded tourists in the affected region have been safely evacuated as part of the coordinated rescue efforts by the Indian Army, state government and other agencies under Operation Zindagi. #WATCH | Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand: Search and rescue operation underway in the Dharali-Harsil area following a cloudburst. pic.twitter.com/C3qbT39ntu— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2025advertisementAccording to a statement from the Indian Army, 33 helicopter sorties conducted by Army and civil aviation teams have evacuated 195 civilians, while nearly 200 tourists were safely escorted through landslide-prone zones and transported from the Harsil helipad on Saturday.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed that over 1,000 people have been rescued and all injured individuals have been transferred to medical facilities. To further streamline the evacuation process and ensure the efficient delivery of relief materials, an aerial corridor has been established between Uttarkashi and Harsil.According to the District Information Officer, health services are being provided to affected residents, while water supply and electricity have been restored in parts of Harsil, Mukhwa and Dharali.Efforts to clear debris and restore road access in Dharali are underway, though connectivity remains severely disrupted. A five-kilometre stretch of road beyond Gangnani has been entirely washed away and adverse weather conditions are resulting in delays in some air operations, hindering the speed of relief and evacuation efforts.Rescue teams continue intensive search operations in both Harsil and Dharali, focusing on locating any remaining missing persons. Several labourers trapped near Gangotri due to blocked routes and rising water levels have been successfully rescued and transported to Harsil for shelter and medical care.The Indian Army's medical teams have already treated 35 individuals, and additional relief supplies are being airlifted from Dehradun. Over 1.4 tonnes of food have been delivered, with more supplies expected to arrive in the coming days.On 9 August, road connectivity to Harsil, which had been completely severed, was restored. The Bailey bridge at Limchigad, which will reconnect the Rishikesh-Gangotri National Highway (NH-34), is in its final stages of completion. This bridge replaces a previous structure destroyed by the floods.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and Indian Army engineers are leading the bridge construction efforts and are also working to clear roads between Gangotri and Uttarkashi. A temporary 330-foot cableway is being built to provide passage where roads remain submerged or damaged.Brigadier M S Dhillon informed that locating those trapped beneath the debris remains the primary focus of the rescue operations today. advertisement"Since August 5, the army, state government, and other agencies have been working continuously. Today, we are concentrating on finding individuals buried under the debris caused by the cloudburst. We are using ground-penetrating radar to detect human or metal objects buried beneath the earth. Satellite communication systems have also been established," Dhillon said.#WATCH | Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand: On the ongoing search operation in the Dharali-Harsil area following a cloudburst, Brigadier M S Dhillon says, "Since the 5th August, the army, state government, and other agencies have been continuously working on rescue and relief operations. pic.twitter.com/sk4TqvMetb— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2025In addition to the ongoing operations, the state government has formed a three-member committee to assess the damage, supervise rehabilitation and recommend long-term solutions. The committee will submit a preliminary report within one week. The committee comprises: Surendra Pandey, Revenue Secretary (Chair); Ashish Chauhan, CEO, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Authority; and Himanshu Khurana, Additional Secretary (Finance). The Chief Minister also announced immediate financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased and those whose homes were completely destroyed in Dharali. Affected families will also receive ration supplies for six months.- Ends
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