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5 killed, 11 missing as cloudbursts, flash floods, mudslides hit Uttarakhand
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review meeting following reports of cloudbursts and spoke to the district magistrates of the affected areas over the phone
At least five people were killed and 11 went missing after cloudbursts, flash floods, and mudslides hit Uttarakhand’s Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, and Bageshwar districts on Friday. Debris swept houses, inundated agricultural fields, and buried livestock.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, and revenue department teams were dispatched to the affected areas for rescue and relief operations.
Suspected cloudbursts have triggered flash floods and mudslides across north India this monsoon, burying villages, destroying bridges, and roads. Flash floods hit Dharali village of Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi on August 5. Just one person has been confirmed dead so far, and several are still missing.
In Chamoli’s Mopata village, two people were killed after they were buried under debris induced by extreme rainfall on Friday. Two people received minor injuries. Some livestock were also missing. A house was completely damaged. Chamoli’s chief development officer, Abhishek Tripathi, said that around 2am the house was buried under a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall.
In Rudraprayag district’s Basukedar and Jakholi, one person was killed and eight others were missing in rain-related incidents. Rudraprayag district magistrate Prateek Jain said they received information around 4.54am about the damage caused in the villages of Basukedar and Jakholi tehsils due to extreme rainfall.
“A person died, while eight others are missing in Chhenagarh area,” he said. “Some houses were damaged and vehicles were swept away in Syoor due to heavy rainfall. In Badeith, Bagdhar, and Taljamni, water and debris entered from streams. In Kimana, farmland and roads were hit by heavy boulders and debris.”
He said in Arkhund, a fish pond and poultry farm were washed away. “In Chenagad, debris filled the marketplace, and several vehicles were swept away. Reports of missing people have been received from Chenagad Dugar and Jaula Badeith.” He said over 200 people have been shifted to safer places.
In Bageshwar’s Simoti village, two people were killed and three others were missing after a cloudburst. SDRF commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said villagers managed to rescue one person. “The SDRF recovered two bodies during the rescue operation,” he said. “Efforts are underway to trace three missing persons.”
In Tehri Garhwal’s Genwali village, huts, a cowshed with cattle, temples, farmland, water supply lines, and electricity infrastructure were hit. Culverts were damaged in Parsil, Khwadang, and Genwali Gad.
Rising water in the Balganga river inundated farmland and roads in Jakhana. In Ghansali tehsil, the swollen Nailchami river disrupted power supply, damaged drinking water schemes, washed away a culvert in Thela, and destroyed irrigation channels in adjoining areas.
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review meeting following reports of cloudbursts and spoke to the district magistrates of the affected areas over the phone. He asked officials to ensure the immediate evacuation of people to safe locations and to provide them with all basic facilities.
Dhami asked the district administrations to alert and ensure that all required resources are made available promptly for relief work. He said compensation should be provided at the earliest.
