Homes, Hotels, Trees, Cars Swept Away: Before-After Images Show Flashflood Havoc In Uttarkashi
Four people were killed and at least 130, who were initially feared trapped, have been rescued in Dharali, a key stopover to Gangotri and has many hotels, restaurants and homestays
Massive flashfloods — most likely triggered by a cloudburst — in the quaint Himalayan village of Dharali in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, swept away homes, hotels, cars, and trees leaving a trail of destruction behind.
Four people were killed and at least 130, who were initially feared trapped, have been rescued in the village that is a key stopover on the route to Gangotri, the origin of the Ganges, and also houses many hotels, restaurants and homestays. Before-after images of the village show the scale of devastation.
Contiguous buildings, including three and four-storey houses, fell like a pack of cards as the surging waters washed over them. The devastating flashflood came in the wake of a cloudburst somewhere in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga river.
The raging waters flowed down two different sides of the same hill, one towards Dharali and the other towards the village of Sukki, he said.
Landslides have blocked 163 roads, including five national highways, seven state highways and two border roads across the state, further impeding rescue and preventing personnel from getting to the far-flung area, about 140 km from the state capital Dehradun and usually a five-hour drive.
Uttarakhand principal secretary RK Sudhanshu said 40 to 50 buildings have been damaged. Local residents said a large portion of the Dharali market was washed away.
Rajesh Panwar, an eyewitness to the horror of nature's relentless fury, told PTI that about 20 to 25 hotels and homestays may have been washed away. There was widespread panic in the neighbouring villages following the flashflood.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said no stone is being left unturned in providing assistance to the people. 'I express my condolences to the people affected by this tragedy in Dharali, Uttarkashi. Along with this, I pray for the well-being of all the victims. I have spoken to Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami ji and obtained information about the situation. Under the supervision of the state government, relief and rescue teams are engaged in every possible effort," he said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to Dhami and ordered the dispatch of seven rescue teams to assist the affected people. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the Centre and the state government are working in tandem, taking all possible measures to save precious lives.
Dhami, who was in Andhra Pradesh, cancelled his trip to return to Dehradun. He said he is constantly in touch with senior officials and the situation is being closely monitored.
'The news of heavy losses due to cloudburst in Dharali (Uttarkashi) area is extremely sad and painful. SDRF, NDRF, district administration and other related teams are engaged on war footing in relief and rescue operations," he said in a post on X.
(With PTI inputs)
tags :
cloudburst flashfloods Natural disasters Pushkar Singh Dhami Uttarakhand
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Location :
Uttarkashi, India, India
First Published:
August 05, 2025, 23:35 IST
News india Homes, Hotels, Trees, Cars Swept Away: Before-After Images Show Flashflood Havoc In Uttarkashi
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