
At least 50 missing after horror video shows flash flood totally wipe out town on hillside in India
The village, in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, was washed away the NDTV news channel said on Tuesday.
2
2
Visuals on local TV channels showed flood waters surging down a mountain and crashing into a hamlet at the foothills, sweeping away houses and a road in Uttarkashi town in the Himalayas.
There was likely to be damage because of an increase in water levels in the Harshil area of Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand police said in a post on X, asking residents to stay away from rivers.
Uttarakhand, which is located in the Himalayas, is increasingly prone to flash floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
29 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Four dead as flash flood causes mudslide in Indian town of Dharali
A flash flood driving a torrent of mud has smashed into a town in India's Himalayan region, tearing down a mountain valley before demolishing buildings and killing at least four people. Videos broadcast on Indian media showed a terrifying surge of muddy water sweeping away apartment blocks in the tourist region of Dharali in Uttarakhand state. Several people could be seen running before being engulfed by the dark waves of debris that uprooted entire buildings. Uttarakhand state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue teams had been deployed 'on a war footing'. Senior local official Prashant Arya said four people had been killed, with other officials warning that the number could rise. India's army said 150 troops had reached the town, helping to rescue about 20 people who had survived the wall of freezing sludge. 'A massive mudslide struck Dharali … triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement,' the army said. Images released by the army, taken from the site after the main torrent had passed, showed a river of slow-moving mud. A wide swathe of the town was swamped by deep debris. In places, the mud lapped at the rooftops of houses. 'Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with all available resources being deployed to locate and evacuate any remaining stranded persons,' army spokesperson Suneel Bartwal said. Prime minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a statement, and said that 'no stone is being left unturned in providing assistance'. Dhami said the flood was caused by a sudden and intense 'cloudburst', calling the destruction 'extremely sad and distressing'. The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert warning for the area, saying it had recorded 'extremely heavy' rainfall of about 21cm (8in) in isolated parts of Uttarakhand. Deadly floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say climate change, coupled with urbanisation, is increasing their frequency and severity. The UN's World Meteorological Organization said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a 'distress signal' for what is to come as climate change makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable.

Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Mudslide engulfs Indian village leaving at least four dead
Surging floodwaters and a torrent of mud swept through a village in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, killing at least four people while more than 50 others were missing, authorities and local TV channels said on Tuesday (August 5). Reuters was able to confirm the location of the stills by buildings and terrain which matched file and satellite imagery. The date was verified by official and local media reports of a flash flood in the area on Tuesday.


Sky News
4 hours ago
- Sky News
India flash floods: Race to find survivors after at least four killed as homes and hotels destroyed
At least four people have been killed and buildings swept away after floodwater crashed through a Himalayan village in India. Uttarakhand state's chief minister said police and the army were "on a war footing" as they search for survivors. Video shows the dramatic moment the water barrelled through Dharali, about six miles from the popular tourist site Harsil. "About a dozen hotels have been washed away and several shops have collapsed," said local official Prashant Arya. Villagers fear it could be worse - with up to a dozen people still under rubble and 20 to 25 hotels and homestays destroyed. India 's national disaster management authority has requested three helicopters to help with rescue efforts in the mountainous terrain. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that he had spoken to the chief minister and "no stone is being left unturned in providing assistance to the people". More heavy rain is forecast in the days ahead and local schools have been asked to stay shut. Brief, intense downpours known as cloudbursts are becoming more common in Uttarakhand, according to experts, who say it's partly down to climate change. Uttarakhand is in India's far north, bordering Nepal and China, and is already prone to flooding and landslides in monsoon season. Damage from such events has also become worse due to unplanned development. India isn't the only country experiencing intense storms this week. 0:45 Hong Kong issued another maximum "black" warning after heavier than usual monsoon rains caused flooding and landslides. More than 35cm (13.8 inches) had fallen by 2pm local time on Tuesday, according to city authorities, the highest daily amount for August since 1884. Video showed water gushing through the streets and partially submerged cars. Most schools and public services in the region have been closed. It's the fourth "black" alert in eight days - a new record. The storms have also affected the wider region, including Macau and Guangdong province, where five people died and more than 1,300 rescuers were deployed at the weekend.