Latest news with #HarDudhfair
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Indian Express
2 bodies recovered, bad weather slows rescue ops: What we know so far
Rescue operations continued on Wednesday in flood-hit Dharali village in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district after devastating flash floods and landslides swept away homes, vehicles, and left dozens missing the previous day. Two bodies were recovered on Wednesday and around 150 people have been rescued so far, with search efforts hampered by persistent rain and blocked roads. Around 60 others are still missing, officials say. The body was identified as that of 35-year-old Akash Panwar, officials at the Uttarkashi Disaster Control Room confirmed. The disaster was triggered by what authorities described as a cloudburst on Tuesday afternoon, burying nearly half of Dharali under a massive mudslide comprised of slush, debris, and water. Among those missing are 11 Army personnel from the nearby Harsil camp and a 28-member tourist group, primarily from Kerala and Maharashtra. A relative of one of the missing tourists said, 'They said they were leaving from Uttarkashi to Gangotri at around 8.30 am that day (Tuesday). The landslides occurred along that route. We have been unable to contact them since they left.' The group was part of a 10-day Uttarakhand tour arranged by a Haridwar-based travel agency. According to family members, no contact has been established since Tuesday, likely due to the lack of mobile network and dead phone batteries in the region. The Uttarakhand State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) confirmed that 51 tourists from Maharashtra stranded in the district were safe. Eleven of them are from Nanded, while the rest hail from various other districts. The Maharashtra government is coordinating with SEOC and the Uttarkashi Disaster Management Centre for their safe evacuation, also utilising support through Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi. The flash floods struck Dharali, a key tourist destination and stopover en route to Gangotri, where the Ganga originates. The village, located about 140 km from Dehradun, is home to several hotels and homestays. Many tourists had gathered for the Har Dudh fair when the disaster hit. Deputy Inspector General of NDRF Operations Mohsen Shahedi stated that three NDRF teams are en route to Dharali, though landslides have blocked the Rishikesh-Uttarkashi highway, preventing their arrival. Two more teams stationed in Dehradun are awaiting favourable weather to be airlifted. Meanwhile, over 100 personnel from the ITBP, BRO, and SDRF are actively engaged in operations. Col Harshvardhan, Commanding Officer of 14 Rajputana Rifles, is leading a 150-member relief team despite their own camp being affected and personnel missing. 'The team is working with full courage and determination,' Defence Spokesperson Lt Col Manish Shrivastava said. A bridge over the Limaccha River near Gangnani on the Gangotri National Highway was swept away, stranding additional rescue teams. Over 200 personnel are currently stationed at Bhatwari, waiting for the route to clear. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday and assured full support from the Centre. Dhami, after surveying Dharali and Harsil by helicopter, met with injured soldiers and families of the missing. 'The rescue work is apace. Teams from the Army, ITBP, and SDRF have reached the spot… It's a challenging situation as it is still raining there,' Dhami said. He added that arrangements have been made for medicines and food, and 160 police personnel have been deployed to oversee aid distribution. Three nodal officers from the Chief Minister's office have been assigned to the area. 'All government agencies, departments, and the Army are working with total coordination. Every life matters to us,' the Chief Minister said, noting that officials have been instructed to remain on high alert round-the-clock. Helicopters have been kept on standby by the Indian Army, pending clearance from weather conditions. Heavy rain across Uttarakhand has led to many rivers flowing above danger levels, including the Mandakini in Rudraprayag, the Banganga in Haridwar, and the Bhagirathi in Devprayag, as per the Central Water Commission. A landslide on Tuesday evening disrupted train services from Haridwar towards Rishikesh and Dehradun after debris fell on railway tracks in the Motichur range of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. A help desk has been established at Haridwar railway station for passenger assistance. Dharali, situated just 2 km from Harsil and home to an Army base, remains cut off by road as rescue and relief teams battle harsh weather and landslide-blocked routes in their continued efforts to find the missing and support survivors.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Climate
- NDTV
Uttarkashi Flash Floods: 1 Body Recovered, Over 60 Missing, Rescue Ops On
Dehradun: Rescuers retrieved one body from the rubble in flood-ravaged Dharali village, as the search for the missing resumed on Wednesday amid rain. Nearly half of the picturesque Dharali village was ravaged by flash floods on Tuesday afternoon. The village is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates, and is home to several hotels and home stays. Four deaths have so far been confirmed in the flash flood, which followed a cloudburst. Around 130 people have been evacuated to safety, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to get an update on the situation and assured him of the Centre's assistance. Chief Minister Dhami held a meeting with officials at the State Emergency Operation Centre here to review the rescue efforts. He surveyed the flooded area in Dharali and Harsil from a helicopter. "The rescue work is apace. Teams from the army, ITBP, and SDRF have reached the spot. Around 70-80 people have been rescued... Debris has reached an army base. A road has been blocked. The DM and an SP rank officer are on their way to the spot. It's a challenging situation as it is still raining there," he told PTI Videos. Chief Minister Dhami said arrangements have been made for medicines and food, and 160 police personnel have been deployed, 10 of them senior and three SP-rank, to oversee the disbursement of ration. Three nodal officers have been appointed from the CM's office. "Every life matters to us," the chief minister said Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, quoting the ITBP, said that one body was retrieved from the flash flood site. The Indian Army has kept its MI-17 and Chinook helicopters on standby to look for the stranded. They will take off only after the weather clears. At least 60 people are said to have gone missing, but the number is likely higher, as many had gathered for the Har Dudh fair in Dharali village when the tragedy struck. The missing include 11 soldiers, Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Shrivastava said. Colonel Harshvardhan, Commanding Officer of 14 Raj Rif, is leading the relief and rescue operations with a 150-soldier team. Despite its soldiers going missing and its base being hit, the team is working with full courage and determination, Mr Shrivastava said.
Business Standard
5 days ago
- Climate
- Business Standard
One body retrieved in Uttarkashi's flood-hit Dharali; Modi speaks to Dhami
Rescuers retrieved one body from the rubble in flood-ravaged Dharali village, as the search for the missing resumed on Wednesday amid rain. Nearly half of the picturesque Dharali village was ravaged by flash floods on Tuesday afternoon. The village is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates, and is home to several hotels and home stays. Four deaths have so far been confirmed in the flash flood, which followed a cloudburst. Around 130 people have been evacuated to safety, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to get an update on the situation and assured him of the Centre's assistance. Dhami held a meeting with officials at the State Emergency Operation Centre here to review the rescue efforts. He surveyed the flooded area in Dharali and Harsil from a helicopter. "The rescue work is apace. Teams from the army, ITBP, and SDRF have reached the spot. Around 70-80 people have been rescued... Debris has reached an army base. A road has been blocked. The DM and an SP rank officer are on their way to the spot. It's a challenging situation as it is still raining there," he told PTI Videos. Dhami said arrangements have been made for medicines and food, and 160 police personnel have been deployed, 10 of them senior and three SP-rank, to oversee the disbursement of ration. Three nodal officers have been appointed from the CM's office. "Every life matters to us," the chief minister said Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, quoting the ITBP, said that one body was retrieved from the flash flood site. The Indian Army has kept its MI-17 and Chinook helicopters on standby to look for the stranded. They will take off only after the weather clears. At least 60 people are said to have gone missing, but the number is likely higher, as many had gathered for the Har Dudh fair in Dharali village when the tragedy struck. The missing include 11 soldiers, Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Shrivastava said. Colonel Harshvardhan, Commanding Officer of 14 Raj Rif, is leading the relief and rescue operations with a 150-soldier team. Despite its soldiers going missing and its base being hit, the team is working with full courage and determination, Shrivastava said.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Uttarkashi cloudbursts: Rescuers retrieve one body in Dharali village; 150 rescued, many still missing
DEHRADUN: Rescuers on Wednesday retrieved one body from the rubble in flood-battered Dharali village as search operations resumed despite persistent rainfall. Officials rescued150 people from the flood-ravaged mountain village. Landslides blocked arterial roads leading up to Dharali where dozens of people were trapped and many homes and cars swept away by the raging waters on Tuesday. Eleven Army personnel from the nearby camp in Harsil were among those missing. The person whose body was retrieved was identified as that of 35-year-old Akash Panwar, the Uttarkashi Disaster Control Room said. The picturesque village, a major halt on the route to Gangotri, was devastated by flash floods triggered by a cloudburst on Tuesday afternoon. According to officials, four deaths have so far been confirmed. The number of missing is estimated at over 60, though the actual figure may be higher as many had gathered in the village for the Har Dudh fair when the tragedy unfolded. According to Mohsen Shahedi, NDRF deputy inspector general (DIG) operations, three teams of the federal contingency force are enroute to Dharali but have been unable to get there because continuous landslides have blocked the Rishikesh -Uttarkashi highway. Dharali is about 140 km from Dehradun and usually a five-hour drive. Two NDRF teams are to be airlifted from Dehradun but they can't be moved as bad weather is preventing a successful sortie, Shahedi told reporters in Delhi. Teams of the Army, ITBP and state SDRF are undertaking rescue operations in the affected area and about 150 people have been rescued, he said. "We have been told that four people have been killed and about 50 are missing," Shahedi said. The Gangotri national highway is blocked at various points with a joint team of more than 200 rescue personnel waiting in Bhatwari for the route to open, added an official at the district emergency operation centre in Uttarkashi. A bridge built over Limaccha river at Gangnani on Gangotri NH was swept away by the flashflood leaving a team of rescue personnel stranded on way to Dharali.
India.com
5 days ago
- Climate
- India.com
Uttarkashi Flood: Rescuers retrieve 1 body in flood-struck Dharali, PM Modi speaks to CM Dhami, offers help
Dehradun: At least four persons were killed and over 100 people feared washed away in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand after flash floods triggered by torrential rain hit the Kheer Ganga river on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) afternoon. The floods hit hotels and residential buildings in Dharali town, situated 8,600 feet above sea level, where video footage recorded by residents showed giant waves of water gushing through the area and swallowing everything in their way, including people and homes. Nearly half of the picturesque Dharali village was ravaged by flash floods on Tuesday afternoon. The village is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates, and is home to several hotels and home stays. Four deaths have so far been confirmed in the flash flood, which followed a cloudburst. Around 130 people have been evacuated to safety, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to get an update on the situation and assured him of the Centre's assistance. Dhami held a meeting with officials at the State Emergency Operation Centre here to review the rescue efforts. He surveyed the flooded area in Dharali and Harsil from a helicopter. 'The rescue work is apace. Teams from the army, ITBP, and SDRF have reached the spot. Around 70-80 people have been rescued… Debris has reached an army base. A road has been blocked. The DM and an SP rank officer are on their way to the spot. It's a challenging situation as it is still raining there,' he told PTI Videos. Dhami said arrangements have been made for medicines and food, and 160 police personnel have been deployed, 10 of them senior and three SP-rank, to oversee the disbursement of ration. Three nodal officers have been appointed from the CM's office. 'Every life matters to us,' the chief minister said. Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, quoting the ITBP, said that one body was retrieved from the flash flood site. The Indian Army has kept its MI-17 and Chinook helicopters on standby to look for the stranded. They will take off only after the weather clears. At least 60 people are said to have gone missing, but the number is likely higher, as many had gathered for the Har Dudh fair in Dharali village when the tragedy struck. The missing include 11 soldiers, Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Shrivastava said. Colonel Harshvardhan, Commanding Officer of 14 Raj Rif, is leading the relief and rescue operations with a 150-soldier team. Despite its soldiers going missing and its base being hit, the team is working with full courage and determination, Shrivastava said. (With PTI Inputs)
