Heavy rains and landslides disrupt rescue efforts in Northern India
Torrential rains and landslides have severely disrupted rescue operations in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, a day after flash floods killed four people and left dozens missing.
Rescue teams, including army and disaster response forces, are struggling to reach Dharali village in Uttarkashi district. The village, a frequent stop for tourists en route to the Hindu pilgrimage site of Gangotri, has been cut off after landslides blocked key highways, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“The number of missing persons is unknown, but relief efforts have continued through the night,” said Army Colonel Harshavardhan in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “We are trying to rescue people and take them to safety.”
Access to the area has become increasingly difficult. Roads have either collapsed or are blocked by debris, and communication is down after mobile and power towers were washed away. Authorities have provided satellite phones to the rescue teams.
An army camp in nearby Harsil, located just 4 kilometers from Dharali, was also hit by flash floods. According to NDTV, eleven army personnel are missing.
To support the rescue mission, the army has deployed additional forces, tracker dogs, drones, and heavy equipment to Harsil.
By Tuesday night, around 130 people had been rescued, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told news agency ANI. Helicopters are on standby to deliver supplies to those still stranded.
Footage broadcast on Indian news channels showed mud and floodwaters surging down mountainsides, smashing through houses and roads as residents ran for safety. Videos from the chief minister’s office showed some homes in Dharali buried under mud.
Uttarakhand is frequently hit by floods and landslides, disasters that environmental experts often link to the effects of climate change.
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