Dehradun, Aug 5 – At least four people have died and several others are feared missing after a massive cloudburst triggered a landslide and flash floods in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Tuesday. The disaster struck the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga river near Tharali village.
Terrifying visuals shared on social media show a fierce water stream crashing down the hills, sweeping away houses as residents scream in panic. The Uttarkashi police have urged people to stay away from rivers and warned of the potential danger. “Ensure children and animals are kept at a safe distance from the river,” they posted.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and said rescue efforts are underway. “SDRF, NDRF, and district teams are working on a war footing. I’m in constant touch with officials and monitoring the situation closely,” he stated on X (formerly Twitter).
Uttarakhand has been grappling with intense monsoon rains. On Monday, two people lost their lives in Rudraprayag after debris from a hillside buried shops. Meanwhile, flood-like conditions have affected multiple villages in Udham Singh Nagar as the Levda river overflowed.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a ‘red alert’ for extremely heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand today, with a ‘yellow alert’ in place for the rest of the week.
