A terrible cloudburst in Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand has caused flash floods and landslides, killing at least five people and left more than 100 missing. The incident, which started on Tuesday, has led to a huge rescue operation involving many agencies that is currently on its second day.
Two cloudbursts cause a lot of damage.
The main cloudburst hit the Dharali area near Harsil at about 1:40 PM, producing large mudslides in the Kheer Ganga and Kheer Gadh regions. Shortly later, a second cloudburst was recorded at Sukhi Top, although officials have confirmed that no one was hurt in that event. Horrifying videos from Uttarkashi show people trying to get away from the rising mud and water, with several cars getting totally carried away.
There are problems with rescue operations
Rescue teams from the ITBP, SDRF, NDRF, and the Indian Army are on the ground looking for the missing and helping those who have been affected. So far, some 150 people have been saved, and 413 pilgrims who were stuck along the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra route have also been safely evacuated. However, severe weather and debris blocking the Rishikesh-Uttarkashi Highway have made it harder to get people and equipment to the scene of the accident. NDRF officials said that two teams are waiting in Dehradun to be airlifted, but the weather is too bad for them to fly.
Missing: 28 Tourists from Kerala
One of the missing groups is a party of 28 visitors from Kerala. Relatives say that the group was on their way from Uttarkashi to Gangotri when the landslides happened. A family member informed reporters that they last spoke to her a day ago and haven’t been able to reach her since. People think that the communication blackout is caused by dead phone batteries and a lack of mobile network coverage. Twenty of the 28 visitors are from Kerala but now live in Maharashtra. The other eight are from different districts in Kerala.
Government Responds, Army on Standby
Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Chief Minister, has flown over the Dharali and Harsil districts and visited with soldiers who were hurt and families of soldiers who are missing. He promised that all available resources are being used for the rescue and relief activities, including providing food and medical supplies. The CM also said that 160 police officers have been sent to make sure that the meals are given out fairly. The Central government has promised full support from both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The Indian Army is ready to send out search teams as soon as the weather clears. They have MI-17 and Chinook helicopters on standby.