At least four people died and more than 50 people were missing after a flash flood washed away a village in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand on Tuesday.
Footage aired by local broadcaster NDTV showed floodwaters rushing down a mountainside in Uttarkashi district before crashing into a hamlet in the foothills, tearing through houses and destroying a road.
Videos recorded by tourists showed a violent stream sweeping away several houses and vegetation. “Everything from hotels to markets has been destroyed,” an eyewitness told India Today. “I haven’t witnessed a disaster like this before.”
The Uttarakhand police said rising water levels in the Harshil area of Uttarkashi posed a serious threat, warning residents via social media to stay away from rivers.
According to local officials, the flash flood was triggered by a cloud burst, leading to a massive debris slide in the village of Dharali.
“The village was on a higher elevation, but the area was home to commercial activities such as hotels and shops. We have yet to ascertain the losses, but preliminary reports indicate severe property damage,” district magistrate Prashant Arya said.
Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force, the National Disaster Response Force, and the Indian Army were on their way.
Mr Arya confirmed to the Times of India that at least four people had died in the flash flood.
“We are yet to get a comprehensive assessment. We are rushing to the area,” subdistrict magistrate of Bhatwari, Shalini Negi, said.
The cloudburst also triggered a massive landslide, cutting off connectivity to the popular pilgrimage site of Gangotri.
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was in constant touch with senior officials involved in relief and rescue work.
“The news of heavy destruction caused by the cloudburst in Dharali is extremely saddening. SDRF, NDRF, district administration and other related teams are working on war footing. I pray for everyone’s safety,” he said.
Uttarakhand, home to numerous Hindu pilgrimage sites in the Indian Himalayas, has seen a sharp rise in flash floods and landslides in recent years. Some environmental experts attribute this trend to the accelerating effects of climate change.
