Latest news with #IndoTibetanBorderPolice
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rescue operations underway after flash floods hit India's Dharali
STORY: :: Indian rescue crews step up search operations days after deadly flash floods hit a Himalayan village :: August 10, 2025 :: Dharali, India Drone footage showed houses in Dharali village buried in debris, with excavators removing boulders at the site of the mudslide. Multiple army personnel, villagers and laborers continue to remain missing, said Indo-Tibetan Border Police Commandant, Bhanu Pratap Singh on Saturday (August 9). Dharali, a hamlet of about 200 people that stands more than 3,775 ft (1,150 m) above sea level, is a pit-stop for Hindu pilgrims climbing to the temple town of Gangotri. Several deadly flood disasters have taken place in the mountain range over the past decade or so, which experts have blamed on climate change and widespread developmental activities on its slopes. Solve the daily Crossword
NDTV
4 days ago
- Climate
- NDTV
274 Rescued, 59 Missing, Helicopters Deployed In Uttarakhand: 10 Points
Rescue efforts continue in Uttarakhand's Harshil and Dharali after a cloudburst caused flash floods and landslides this week. Fifty-nine people - 50 civilians and nine soldiers - are still missing and five deaths have been confirmed so far. Here are the top 10 points in this big story: 274 tourists - including 131 from Gujarat and 123 from Maharashtra - stranded in Gangotri and other areas have been evacuated. They are being moved to Uttarkashi and Dehradun. Action plans to rescue other stranded people include air-lifting paramilitary troops and medical teams using the Army's Chinook helicopters. The Boeing CH-47 Chinook - a heavy-lift tandem rotor aircraft used for troop and supply transport - will deploy from a helipad at Harshil, while Russian-made Mi-17 choppers will operate from another base in Nelong. The Mi-17 helicopters will transport National Disaster Response Force personnel and medics to affected areas and return with stranded tourists. The Nelong base is being used for this as road links remain open. A third helipad - a civilian facility in Dharali - is still non-operational. Helicopters operated by the Indo Tibetan Border Police, or ITBP, were also deployed. By 10 am Thursday they had rescued 61 people from the affected areas and transported them to Matli. One of the rescued persons was airlifted to a hospital for immediate medical aid. The use of helicopters has greatly improved relief and rescue efforts, making it easier to bring back stranded people or send emergency personnel to save them. The flash floods and landslides had blocked key road links. On Wednesday 190 people were rescued from Dharali. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the Matli helipad and met individuals who had been airlifted from the flood-affected Dharali village. He assured them of all possible assistance from the state and also spoke to emergency services personnel. Apart from challenging weather conditions and difficult terrain, rescuers also have to search through mountains of mud and debris to locate survivors or bodies. To help them the administration is using ground-penetrating radar systems and sniffer dogs. Officials said nearly massive mudslides had buried nearly half of Dharali. The village is a key stop en route to Gangotri, the origin of the Ganges, and has many hotels and homestays. Lieutenant General Raghu Srinivasan, the Director-General of the Border Roads Organisation, said there are four major landslide points in the 96km between Harshil and Dharali; much of that road is completely under water now, he said. "... efforts are underway to restore roads," he said, adding, "We can either restore the old road or carve out a fresh one..." The impact of the flash floods in Uttarkashi is being felt across the region and there are spots were rescue teams have not been able to reach yet. One such spot is the Harsil Valley, which has been cut off due to the collapse of the 100-meter iron bridge.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
More than 100 missing after flash floods in India
Officials say more than 100 people are missing after a cloudburst triggered devastating flash floods in India's northern state of Uttarakhand. Rescue operations are under way in Uttarkashi district after a gigantic wave of water gushed down the mountains into Dharali village on Tuesday, submerging roads and buildings in its path. Some teams of the army have been at Dharali since Tuesday but other disaster response forces and district officials have been unable to reach the area due to damaged roads and heavy rains. Local media reports say that four people have died, but officials told the BBC they have not recovered any bodies so far. Heavy rains have been lashing the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand over the past weeks, and Uttarkashi, where Dharali village is located, has been particularly affected, with flooding reported in many places. Around 130 people have been rescued so far in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told reporters on Wednesday morning. A cloudburst is an extreme, sudden downpour of rain over a small area in a short period of time, often leading to flash floods. It took place on Tuesday around 13:30 India time (08:00 GMT), causing the Kheerganga river to swell dramatically, sending tonnes of muddy water crashing down the hilly terrain. Dharali, a popular tourist destination in the summer, is located 2km (1.24 miles) from Harsil, which has a huge Indian army base. A camp of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police is also located near the area. At least 10 soldiers stationed at the Harsil base are also missing, officials said. Rescue operations are progressing at a slow pace as there is a large amount of sludge and debris covering the area. On Wednesday, heavy and incessant rains continued to lash the region, further complicating rescue efforts. Many routes on the main highway have been closed after they were heavily damaged in the downpour. Journalist Nitin Ramola, who is based in Uttarkashi, said he had seen gaping, jagged cracks running down many roads in the district. He said he has been trying to reach Dharali since Tuesday afternoon but it was "absolutely impossible" right now because of the weather and damaged roads. A few teams of the national and state disaster response forces stationed in Gangotri - about 18km from Dharali - have been at the site since Tuesday afternoon, but officials have been unable to contact them because of poor network connectivity and prolonged power outages. The sludge has also blocked part of the Bhagirathi river - which becomes India's holiest river Ganges once it travels downstream - forming an artificial lake that has submerged large areas, including a government helipad. Officials worry that if this water is not drained out quickly, it can pose a serious threat to towns and villages downstream. Uttarakhand, located in the western Himalayas, is highly vulnerable to flash floods and landslides. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Read more Dozens feared trapped as cloudburst triggers flash floods in India Rescue mission after glacier bursts India dam Monsoon rains kill 12 in Uttarakhand
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
More than 100 missing after flash floods in India
Officials say more than 100 people are missing after a cloudburst triggered devastating flash floods in India's northern state of Uttarakhand. Rescue operations are under way in Uttarkashi district after a gigantic wave of water gushed down the mountains into Dharali village on Tuesday, submerging roads and buildings in its path. Some teams of the army have been at Dharali since Tuesday but other disaster response forces and district officials have been unable to reach the area due to damaged roads and heavy rains. Local media reports say that four people have died, but officials told the BBC they have not recovered any bodies so far. Heavy rains have been lashing the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand over the past weeks, and Uttarkashi, where Dharali village is located, has been particularly affected, with flooding reported in many places. Around 130 people have been rescued so far in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told reporters on Wednesday morning. A cloudburst is an extreme, sudden downpour of rain over a small area in a short period of time, often leading to flash floods. It took place on Tuesday around 13:30 India time (08:00 GMT), causing the Kheerganga river to swell dramatically, sending tonnes of muddy water crashing down the hilly terrain. Dharali, a popular tourist destination in the summer, is located 2km (1.24 miles) from Harsil, which has a huge Indian army base. A camp of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police is also located near the area. At least 10 soldiers stationed at the Harsil base are also missing, officials said. Rescue operations are progressing at a slow pace as there is a large amount of sludge and debris covering the area. On Wednesday, heavy and incessant rains continued to lash the region, further complicating rescue efforts. Many routes on the main highway have been closed after they were heavily damaged in the downpour. Journalist Nitin Ramola, who is based in Uttarkashi, said he had seen gaping, jagged cracks running down many roads in the district. He said he has been trying to reach Dharali since Tuesday afternoon but it was "absolutely impossible" right now because of the weather and damaged roads. A few teams of the national and state disaster response forces stationed in Gangotri - about 18km from Dharali - have been at the site since Tuesday afternoon, but officials have been unable to contact them because of poor network connectivity and prolonged power outages. The sludge has also blocked part of the Bhagirathi river - which becomes India's holiest river Ganges once it travels downstream - forming an artificial lake that has submerged large areas, including a government helipad. Officials worry that if this water is not drained out quickly, it can pose a serious threat to towns and villages downstream. Uttarakhand, located in the western Himalayas, is highly vulnerable to flash floods and landslides. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Read more Dozens feared trapped as cloudburst triggers flash floods in India Rescue mission after glacier bursts India dam Monsoon rains kill 12 in Uttarakhand Solve the daily Crossword
BBC News
5 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Dharali, Uttarakhand: More than 100 people missing after flash floods hit village
Officials say more than 100 people are missing after a cloudburst triggered devastating flash floods in India's northern state of Uttarakhand. Rescue operations are under way in Uttarkashi district after a gigantic wave of water gushed down the mountains into Dharali village on Tuesday, submerging roads and buildings in its path. Some teams of the army have been at Dharali since Tuesday but other disaster response forces and district officials have been unable to reach the area due to damaged roads and heavy rains. Local media reports say that four people have died, but officials told the BBC they have not recovered any bodies so far. Heavy rains have been lashing the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand over the past weeks, and Uttarkashi, where Dharali village is located, has been particularly affected, with flooding reported in many 130 people have been rescued so far in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told reporters on Wednesday morning.A cloudburst is an extreme, sudden downpour of rain over a small area in a short period of time, often leading to flash took place on Tuesday around 13:30 India time (08:00 GMT), causing the Kheerganga river to swell dramatically, sending tonnes of muddy water crashing down the hilly a popular tourist destination in the summer, is located 2km (1.24 miles) from Harsil, which has a huge Indian army base. A camp of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police is also located near the least 10 soldiers stationed at the Harsil base are also missing, officials said. Rescue operations are progressing at a slow pace as there is a large amount of sludge and debris covering the Wednesday, heavy and incessant rains continued to lash the region, further complicating rescue efforts. Many routes on the main highway have been closed after they were heavily damaged in the Nitin Ramola, who is based in Uttarkashi, said he had seen gaping, jagged cracks running down many roads in the district. He said he has been trying to reach Dharali since Tuesday afternoon but it was "absolutely impossible" right now because of the weather and damaged roads.A few teams of the national and state disaster response forces stationed in Gangotri - about 18km from Dharali - have been at the site since Tuesday afternoon, but officials have been unable to contact them because of poor network connectivity and prolonged power outages. The sludge has also blocked part of the Bhagirathi river - which becomes India's holiest river Ganges once it travels downstream - forming an artificial lake that has submerged large areas, including a government worry that if this water is not drained out quickly, it can pose a serious threat to towns and villages located in the western Himalayas, is highly vulnerable to flash floods and BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
