Latest news with #Harshvardhan
Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Advanced equipment, canine unit, and a search for the 60 missing in Uttarkashi
As rescue operations following the flash flood enter the fifth day on Saturday in Uttarakhand's Dharali village, only two bodies have been retrieved so far, with over 60 feared trapped. While four life detectors were deployed to locate living people trapped in debris, rubble and in the collapsed buildings, a victim locator camera, along with an exothermic cutting device, was also deployed. As of 6 pm Friday, 154 people had been evacuated from Harsil to Matli, and 121 people were moved from Harsil to Chinyalisaur, bringing the total number of evacuees to 729. P S Pokhriyal, the chief medical superintendent of the District Hospital in Uttarkashi, where nine people are undergoing treatment, said that seven Army men have been admitted in their institution along with two civilians. 'One of the patients is in the ICU. We have referred a few to AIIMS Rishikesh and hospitals in Dehradun. We have provided first aid treatments and specialised care in ENT, Orthopedic department, anesthesiology, and psychiatry,' he said. An Army man rescued from Harsil, Sonu Singh, said that he had no hope that he would survive as soil, water, and uprooted trees cascaded down the path where he stood. 'Debris was all around me. I was flushed into the river and flowed with it until I clinged on to a tree in my path. Many of my colleagues went down the river,' said Singh, who hails from Uttar Pradesh. Eight of his colleagues remain missing, including a JCO. 'I saw them getting swept away. There were other Agniveers like me, but they are still missing,' Singh said. His colleague, Harshvardhan, another Agniveer, was also pushed into the stream as flood hit the camp. 'We were leaving for the rescue operations at Dharali when the flood hit us. I climbed onto a rock on the bank of the river, and my fellow Army men helped us out of the water,' Harshvardhan, who hails from Sikar, said. Meanwhile, Head and Member Secretary of the NDMA, Rajendra Singh, said that Doppler Radars will soon be installed in Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Auli to improve weather forecasting capabilities. He instructed the India Meteorological Department to prioritise Uttarakhand for the installation of these radars. Under Mission Mausam, he also assured that more Doppler Radars would be installed in other important areas of the state. Singh said that essential equipment like dozers, ground-penetrating radars, and others are being made available for relief and rescue operations in Dharali. These will be airlifted using Indian Air Force MI-17 and Chinook helicopters to all required locations. The SDRF dog squad is also engaged in the search for survivors trapped under the rubble. The canines helping in the search were named Hazel, Jansi, Opanna, Sarah, and Rahi. As road connectivity remained cut off, the movement of heavy machinery to move the muck continues to be a challenge. On Friday, the SDRF teams got hold of advanced equipment such as victim locating cameras and thermal imaging cameras to conduct intensive searches inside damaged buildings buried under debris.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Hans India
28 Kerala Tourists Go Missing After Uttarakhand Cloudburst Triggers Deadly Flash Floods
A 28-member tourist group from Kerala has vanished following catastrophic cloudbursts that triggered massive landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on Tuesday, adding to the growing casualty count from the natural disaster. The missing tourists were traveling from Uttarkashi to the sacred Gangotri pilgrimage site when disaster struck around 8:30 AM on Wednesday morning. Among the disappeared group, 20 individuals are Kerala natives currently residing in Maharashtra, while the remaining eight belong to various districts across Kerala. Family members of the missing tourists have been unable to establish contact since the group departed for their pilgrimage journey. A relative of one affected couple revealed that they had spoken with their family members just a day before the incident, when the tourists mentioned they were leaving Gangotri. The subsequent landslides occurred along the exact route the group was traveling. The 10-day Uttarakhand tour was organized through a Haridwar-based travel agency, which has also lost communication with the group and cannot provide updates on their whereabouts. Communication challenges have been compounded by mobile network disruptions in the affected region, with relatives expressing concern that the tourists' phones may have depleted their batteries by now. The devastating cloudburst struck the ecologically sensitive Dharali area on Tuesday afternoon, claiming at least four lives and burying nearly half of the village under massive accumulations of debris, mud, and floodwater. Dharali serves as a popular stopover for pilgrims and tourists traveling to Gangotri, considered the source of the sacred Ganga river, attracting thousands of visitors annually. The disaster has also impacted military personnel, with nine Indian Army soldiers reported missing after the destructive floods in the Kheer Ganga river. Currently, 150 rescue personnel under the leadership of Colonel Harshvardhan, Commanding Officer of 14 RAJRIF, are conducting intensive relief and search operations in the challenging terrain. Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally contacted Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to assess the situation and coordinate response efforts. In a social media statement, the Prime Minister confirmed that state authorities are actively supervising relief teams and implementing every possible measure to assist affected individuals. The Dharali region's strategic location on the Gangotri pilgrimage route makes it particularly vulnerable to natural disasters during monsoon season. The area regularly hosts numerous hotels, guesthouses, and temporary accommodations for pilgrims and tourists, many of which have been completely destroyed by the torrential floodwaters. Rescue operations continue despite challenging weather conditions and difficult mountain terrain. The scale of destruction has made it extremely difficult for emergency teams to access all affected areas and locate missing persons, including the Kerala tourist group whose fate remains unknown. The incident highlights the inherent risks faced by pilgrims and tourists in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, particularly during periods of intense rainfall that can trigger sudden cloudbursts and flash floods with devastating consequences for travelers caught in remote mountainous areas.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
28-member tourist group from Kerala missing after cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi
A 28-member group of tourists from Kerala has gone missing after the cloudburst in Uttarakhand triggered a massive slide and flash floods on Wednesday. Of the 28 individuals missing, 20 are reported to be from Kerala settled in Maharashtra, while the other eight are from different districts in Kerala(AFP) According to the relatives, cited in a PTI news agency report, the group was leaving from Uttarkashi to Gangotri at around 8:30 in the morning. Several people have gone missing after a cloudburst triggered flash floods in the Dharali area of Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand on Tuesday. The huge torrent swept away houses, hotels, and homestays that lay along the Gangotri pilgrimage site. Follow for live updates on Uttarakhand flash floods Of the 28 individuals missing, 20 are reported to be from Kerala settled in Maharashtra, while the other eight are from different districts in Kerala, a relative of one of the couples told PTI. She also said that she talked to them a day ago, in which the couple said they were leaving Gangotri. The landslides have occurred along the same route, and the relatives are now unable to contact them. 'We have been unable to contact them since they left,' she said. The couple went through a Haridwar-based travel agency that organised the 10-day Uttarakhand tour, but now even they are unable to provide any updates. 'Their phones may have run out of battery by now. There is no mobile network in that region currently,' the report quoted her as saying. Also read: Watch: Rescue videos show scale of damage in Uttarakhand cloudburst Uttarkashi cloudburst The cloudburst that took place on Tuesday afternoon struck Dharali, an ecologically fragile region, and has so far claimed the lives of at least 4 people. As per officials, nearly half of Dharali has been buried under the massive mudslide of debris, slush, and water. Dharali is a popular stop on the route to Gangotri, the origin of the Ganga, and hosts several tourists every year. Meanwhile, nine Indian Army personnel were also missing after the devastating flood in the Kheer Ganga river that led to the destruction. Rescue efforts are now underway, and 150 personnel led by Col Harshvardhan, Commanding Officer of 14 RAJRIF, are engaged in critical relief operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took note of the incident and spoke to Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. In an X post, PM Modi informed that the state government is supervising the relief teams and every possible effort is being made to assist people.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rescuers search for dozens missing after deadly flash floods kill 4 in northern India
India Flash Floods LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Rescuers were scouring a devastated Himalayan village in northern India to find dozens of missing people, a day after flash floods killed at least four people and left many others trapped under debris, officials said Wednesday. Flood waters triggered by intense rains gushed down the narrow mountains Tuesday into Dharali, a mountain village in Uttarakhand state, sweeping away homes, roads and a local market. Teams of army and disaster force rescuers were searching for dozens, including at least 11 Indian army soldiers, who are believed to be trapped under the rubble. Authorities said rescue workers had recovered four bodies by Wednesday. 'The search for others is still underway,' said Dilip Singh, a disaster management official. Singh said at least 60 people have been rescued so far and moved to safer locations, but adverse weather conditions, damaged roads and rugged terrain were hampering rescue efforts. An Indian army camp in Harsil, some 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the flooded village of Dharali, was also hit by flash floods and 11 army personnel were missing, said Col. Harshvardhan, who was leading rescue efforts. 'The conditions are extremely challenging, but our teams are staying put,' said Lt. Col. Manish Srivastava, a defense spokesperson. The flooding in northern India is the latest in a series of disasters that have battered the Himalayan mountains in the last few months. Sudden, intense downpours over small areas known as cloudbursts are increasingly common in Uttarakhand, a Himalayan region prone to flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season. Cloudbursts have the potential to wreak havoc by causing intense flooding and landslides, impacting thousands of people in the mountainous regions. Similar incidents were recorded in Dharali in 1864, 2013 and 2014. More than 6,000 people died and 4,500 villages were affected when a similar cloudburst devastated Uttarakhand state in 2013. Experts say cloudbursts have increased in recent years partly due to climate change, while damage from the storms also has increased because of unplanned development in mountain regions. 'This village sits on a ticking time bomb,' said geologist S.P. Sati. 'It is in a highly fragile zone.' Uttarakhand, known for its rugged terrain, spiritual pilgrimage sites and popular tourist destinations, has witnessed a growing number of extreme weather events in recent years. Lokendra Bisht, a local lawmaker who runs a homestay in the area, said people ran for their lives, but the flood waters came so fast that 'there was nothing anyone could do.' 'The whole of Dharali village was wiped out,' he said. — Saaliq reported from New Delhi.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Rescuers search for dozens missing after deadly flash floods kill 4 in northern India
Rescuers were scouring a devastated Himalayan village in northern India to find dozens of missing people, a day after flash floods killed at least four people and left many others trapped under debris, officials said Wednesday. Flood waters triggered by intense rains gushed down the narrow mountains Tuesday into Dharali, a mountain village in Uttarakhand state, sweeping away homes, roads and a local market. Teams of army and disaster force rescuers were searching for dozens, including at least 11 Indian army soldiers, who are believed to be trapped under the rubble. Authorities said rescue workers had recovered four bodies by Wednesday. 'The search for others is still underway,' said Dilip Singh, a disaster management official. Singh said at least 60 people have been rescued so far and moved to safer locations, but adverse weather conditions, damaged roads and rugged terrain were hampering rescue efforts. An Indian army camp in Harsil, some 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the flooded village of Dharali, was also hit by flash floods and 11 army personnel were missing, said Col. Harshvardhan, who was leading rescue efforts. 'The conditions are extremely challenging, but our teams are staying put,' said Lt. Col. Manish Srivastava, a defense spokesperson. The flooding in northern India is the latest in a series of disasters that have battered the Himalayan mountains in the last few months. Sudden, intense downpours over small areas known as cloudbursts are increasingly common in Uttarakhand, a Himalayan region prone to flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season. Cloudbursts have the potential to wreak havoc by causing intense flooding and landslides, impacting thousands of people in the mountainous regions. Similar incidents were recorded in Dharali in 1864, 2013 and 2014. More than 6,000 people died and 4,500 villages were affected when a similar cloudburst devastated Uttarakhand state in 2013. Experts say cloudbursts have increased in recent years partly due to climate change, while damage from the storms also has increased because of unplanned development in mountain regions. 'This village sits on a ticking time bomb,' said geologist S.P. Sati. 'It is in a highly fragile zone.' Uttarakhand, known for its rugged terrain, spiritual pilgrimage sites and popular tourist destinations, has witnessed a growing number of extreme weather events in recent years. Lokendra Bisht, a local lawmaker who runs a homestay in the area, said people ran for their lives, but the flood waters came so fast that 'there was nothing anyone could do.' 'The whole of Dharali village was wiped out,' he said. —
