Heavy rain and road blockages are hindering rescue operations in India’s Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, a day after flash floods and landslides killed four people and left dozens missing. Rescue teams from the army and disaster forces are struggling to reach Dharali village in the Uttarkashi district. Dharali, a popular tourist stop on the way to the Hindu pilgrimage town of Gangotri, has been severely affected, with landslides blocking a main highway and heavy rainfall continuing to pound the region, according to local media and authorities.
An army colonel leading the rescue efforts, Harshavardhan, shared in an X post by the Indian army, “The number of missing persons is unknown, however the relief efforts have continued through the night. We are trying to rescue people and take them to safety.” Prashant Arya, a local official in Uttarkashi, told Reuters that the roads to the affected areas have either collapsed or are blocked by large boulders, making access extremely difficult.
In addition, mobile and electricity towers were swept away by the floodwaters, disrupting communication and forcing authorities to provide satellite phones to rescue workers. According to the NDTV news channel, the army camp in Harsil, located just 4 km from Dharali village, was also hit by flash floods, and eleven army personnel are reported missing. The army’s central command posted on X that “Additional army columns along with tracker dogs, drones, logistic drones, earthmoving equipment, etc have been moved ahead to supplement the resources at Harsil to hasten the efforts.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami informed news agency ANI that approximately 130 people had been rescued by Tuesday night, and that army helicopters were on standby to deliver supplies to those stranded. Television news channels broadcast dramatic footage of floodwaters and mud surging down a mountain and crashing into the village, sweeping away houses and roads as people ran to safety. A video update from the state chief minister’s office showed a mudslide carving through Dharali, burying some of the houses. Uttarakhand is susceptible to floods and landslides, which some experts attribute to climate change.
