Helicopters rescue hundreds stranded by floods on major Hindu Pilgrimage route in India
Rescue operations are underway in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand after devastating floods and landslides left hundreds stranded along the route to the sacred Hindu town of Gangotri. Helicopters were deployed Thursday to evacuate those trapped as authorities confirmed at least four fatalities and several people missing.
State officials said the destruction was “massive.” A sudden cloudburst on Tuesday triggered flash floods and a landslide that submerged homes and vehicles in the village of Dharali — a key stop on the pilgrimage path to Gangotri, one of Hinduism’s holiest shrines, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“We are working around the clock,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding that if weather conditions allowed, all stranded individuals would be rescued by Friday. Around 400 people are being airlifted to safety, including nine army personnel and seven civilians still unaccounted for.
Rescue efforts have been hindered by the destruction of communication infrastructure. Mobile and electricity towers were swept away by the floods, leaving residents and emergency teams without reliable contact.
At the helicopter base in Matli village, worried relatives waited for news. Among them was Mandeep Panwar, whose brother has been missing since the deluge hit Dharali. “If you see the videos, ours was the first hotel to be hit,” he said.
Eyewitnesses described the terrifying scenes. “We saw Dharali falling before our eyes,” said Anamika Mehra, a pilgrim caught in the chaos.
More than 225 army personnel have been deployed, using both machinery and their hands to remove boulders and debris. The state is prone to natural disasters, with experts attributing the increasing intensity and frequency of such events to climate change.
Uttarkashi, the district where the disaster occurred, sits more than 1,150 meters (3,775 feet) above sea level and is a regular route for pilgrims heading to Gangotri.
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