DEHRADUN, India — It’s a heartbreaking and terrifying scene unfolding in Uttarakhand as a series of heavy rains and cloudbursts early Friday morning unleashed widespread destruction. Four people have tragically been killed and three are missing, while officials fear that dozens of families have been buried alive under rubble, their homes swept away by powerful landslides.
The devastation has hit hard in multiple districts, with Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Bageshwar bearing the brunt of the natural calamity. The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority reported that in Bageshwar, an overnight cloudburst damaged several houses in the Pausari area, where two bodies have been recovered, and three others are still unaccounted for.
In a separate incident in Chamoli’s Mopata village, a couple was killed when their house and a cowshed were swallowed by landslide debris. The situation in Rudraprayag is also dire, where over half a dozen villages have been heavily damaged. Officials have received disturbing reports of 30-40 families being trapped by floods and debris in Taljaman village. Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Akshay Prahlad Konde noted that rescue teams are struggling to reach the affected areas as the main road has been broken in seven to eight places.
The state’s top official, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, took to social media to express his grief, stating that “Sad news has been received about some families being stranded due to debris falling.” He assured the public that “relief and rescue work is going on on a war footing” and that he is in constant communication with district magistrates to ensure an effective response.
The relentless rainfall has also caused chaos for travelers and locals alike. Key rivers like the Balganga, Dharmganga, and Alaknanda are flowing furiously, prompting police to issue warnings to people living on the banks. Major arteries, including the Badrinath and Kedarnath national highways, are blocked at numerous points, making it nearly impossible for vehicles to pass. Rescue teams are working around the clock to clear the roads, and pilgrims are being urged to check for updates before beginning their journey.
The situation remains critical, with the Meteorological Department issuing a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours in Bageshwar, Chamoli, Dehradun, and Rudraprayag, indicating that the worst may not be over. This latest calamity follows a similar flash flood in early August that saw a key stopover for pilgrims get washed away, with 69 people going missing.